Jalandhar: Senior Congress leader and Bhulath MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira today condemned the Punjab government, stating that it is burdening contract and low-paid employees by deducting Rs 200 annually from their already meager salaries in the name of State Development Tax. Khaira termed the move “insensitive, unjust, and anti-employee,” and said that contract employees across all departments are already struggling with low salaries, job insecurity, and a lack of basic service benefits. “Instead of regularizing their services and improving their financial condition, the government has decided to further squeeze them by imposing this additional deduction,” he said. He pointed out that thousands of contract, outsourced, and temporary employees in Punjab are surviving on very low salaries, often below a dignified standard of living. Khaira further added, “For a government that claims to stand with the common man, it is highly reprehensible to target the most vulnerable section of its workforce for revenue collection.” The Bhulath MLA said that the State Development Tax might seem small on paper, but every rupee matters for employees earning low monthly salaries.
He also questioned the government’s priorities, asking why the financial burden is repeatedly being placed on ordinary employees instead of improving financial management and curbing wasteful expenditure. Khaira urged Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal, and their leadership to first cut down on their extravagant lifestyles, VIP culture, publicity expenses, and other avoidable expenditures. He said the government should focus on plugging leakages, corruption, and wasteful spending instead of burdening employees at the lowest rung of the administrative ladder. Khaira demanded that the Punjab government immediately withdraw the State Development Tax deduction from contract and low-income employees and instead provide them with relief measures, including job security, fair wages, and social security. He said, “Contractual employees are the backbone of many government services. Financially penalizing them reflects administrative apathy and disregard for their hardships.” Khaira also assured the contractual employees that he would raise this issue at all appropriate forums and continue to fight for their rights and financial dignity.
Imposing a state development tax of Rs. 200 on contract workers is unfair: Khaira
