Employees Reject Govt.’s Diwali Gift, Announce Fresh Protests in DA Case

November

2026

In a move to appease the protesting government employees and pensioners, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced a 3% increase in Dearness Allowance (DA) as a ‘Diwali gift’ for them on 4 Nov. He said the hike will entail an additional expenditure of USD 35M which will benefit around 400K employees and 350K pensioners. The additional DA will be released in December and paid along with the November salaries and pensions. The protesters rejected the move and announced a month-long agitation against the state government, beginning 13 Nov, with Sangrur as the main protest site from 13–19 Nov. From 1–5 Dec, protests will be staged outside the residences of all 91 Aam Aadmi Party Members of Legislative Assembly and effigies of the ruling party burnt in their constituencies. To culminate their protest, the unions plan to form a human chain from Shambhu to Amritsar on 13 Dec, to demonstrate solidarity among government employees. Furthermore on 5 Nov, the Supreme Court of India (SCI) stayed criminal contempt proceedings initiated by the Punjab and Haryana High Court (PHHC) against Panjab Chief Secretary KAP Sinha and other officers, in connection with the non-implementation of its ruling on payment of DA to employees and pensioners. On 3 Aug, the PHHC directed the state to release all up-to-date pending DA installments to all its employees and pensioners within a fortnight. Panjab had challenged the judgment before the SCI. On 12 Oct, the PHHC issued a contempt of court notice to Sinha for misrepresenting facts about the filing of the Panjab government's appeal in the SCI. But the SCI’s Justice BV Nagarathna noted that the letter was an internal communication within the state officials and could not give rise to criminal contempt. She said, ‘Tomorrow, if something adverse happens to your party's employee, an adverse order is passed by the High Court (PHHC) sending your party behind bars, and the Chief Secretary takes a stand in your favor. That do[es]n't comply right now [as] we will challenge [it] before High Court. Will you say it's contempt?’ The judge further remarked that the bench did not appreciate such ‘arm-twisting’. Additionally, the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee also announced a DA hike ranging from 1–10% for committee employees (earlier coverage).