Terming it a Diwali gift to persuade government employees, the state government has announced a 40 per cent increase in the Dearness Allowance (DA) of computer teachers of Punjab Information and Communication Technology Education Society (PICTES).However, no update has been shared about the pending DA of government employees. The announcement was made by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Friday.He said the 40 per cent hike in the DA of computer teachers (PICTES) would take it from 181 per cent to 221 per cent. The move will benefit 6,507 employees across the state.Sharing the information in a social media post on X, Mann said, “A major Diwali gift for employees from the Punjab Government.”“Our government has announced a historic 40 per cent increase in the Dearness Allowance (DA) of 6,507 computer teachers (PICTES), taking it from 181 per cent to 221 per cent.”“In addition, the services of 1,007 non-teaching employees working under Samagra Shiksha were regularised a short while ago. The government has now decided to extend salary-related benefits to them as well,” reads the post.“We are fully committed to the welfare of our employees and ensuring a secure future for them. Wishing everyone a very Happy Diwali,” the post reads.With this decision, there will be a significant increase in the monthly salary of the non-teaching employees who have been working on contractual and temporary arrangements for a long time, claim government sources.The Punjab Government had announced a 3 per cent increase in dearness allowance, claiming it to be a Diwali gift for regular government employees and pensioners of the state.The government had also clarified that the cash payment of these increased instalments of DA would be transferred directly to the bank accounts of employees along with the salary for the month of December. These decisions being taken continuously have brought relief to various employee organisations of the state, said an official.The Dearness Allowance (DA) issue has been a long-standing concern among Punjab Government employees, with workers’ unions repeatedly demanding the release of pending instalments and the implementation of revised rates in line with the Centre.The Punjab Government has informed the Punjab and Haryana High Court that its estimated liability towards arrears of Dearness Allowance/Dearness Relief (DA/DR) for the period from July 1, 2021, to September 30, 2026, stands at approximately Rs 22,818 crore.“The total pending liability on account of both claims is approximately Rs 32,418 crore. In addition, payment of Dearness Allowance at the rates prescribed by the Central Government would entail a recurring liability of approximately Rs 4,712 crore per year,” Chief Secretary KAP Sinha stated in a status report filed before the court.