After the Hon’ble Punjab and Haryana High Court directed the Government of Punjab under Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to clear long-pending pension and DA arrears with interest by April 30, the issue has drawn attention to the years-long delay in releasing benefits recommended by the Sixth Pay Commission. The court was told that more than 35,000 pensioners had died since 2016 while waiting for their revised pension arrears. With such a large number of retirees passing away before receiving dues that had already been approved, does the situation raise serious questions about governance priorities and administrative accountability toward pensioners in Punjab ?
माननीय पंजाब और हरियाणा हाई कोर्ट द्वारा मुख्यमंत्री भगवंत मान के नेतृत्व वाली पंजाब सरकार को 30 अप्रैल तक लंबित पेंशन और डी.ए. बकाया राशि ब्याज सहित जारी करने के निर्देश देने के बाद, यह मुद्दा एक बार फिर चर्चा में आ गया है। यह बकाया राशि छठे वेतन आयोग की सिफारिशों के तहत दी जानी थी, लेकिन इसे जारी करने में वर्षों की देरी हुई। अदालत को बताया गया कि 2016 से अब तक 35,000 से अधिक पेंशनभोगियों की मौत उनके संशोधित पेंशन बकाया का इंतजार करते हुए हो चुकी है। जब इतने बड़े पैमाने पर सेवानिवृत्त कर्मचारी अपने अधिकार के पैसे मिलने से पहले ही दुनिया से चले गए, तो क्या यह स्थिति पंजाब में शासन की प्राथमिकताओं और पेंशनभोगियों के प्रति प्रशासनिक जवाबदेही पर गंभीर सवाल खड़े करती है ?
In the past months, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann faced backlash over allegations of derogatory remarks against Sikh tenets, while tensions also surfaced with influential religious and social institutions such as Radha Soami Satsang Beas. The controversy also revived criticism that Mann failed to fully grasp the unique “grammar of Punjab’s politics,” where religious bodies, community institutions and dera networks play a central role in shaping public sentiment and political outcomes. With AAP’s sweeping 2022 victory widely seen as a rejection of traditional parties rather than a guarantee of long-term loyalty, could these earlier controversies and perceived misreading of Punjab’s socio-political dynamics continue to influence voter attitudes and alliances as the state moves toward the 2027 Assembly elections ?
