The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab on Saturday, 7 November 2026 approved a 40 per cent increase in dearness allowance (DA) for 6,507 computer teachers (PICTES), taking the DA rate from 181 per cent to 221 per cent. The announcement, framed as a Diwali bonanza, also includes the regularisation of services of 1,007 non-teaching employees working under Samagra Shiksha.

Key Decisions Announced

An official statement quoting Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said the DA hike was a 'historic' move aimed at providing 'greater stability and security' to computer teachers under the PICTES cadre. Alongside the DA revision, the state government decided to extend salary-related benefits to these employees — a step that officials say goes beyond earlier entitlements.

'The government is committed to the welfare of its employees and ensuring their secure future,' the statement attributed to CM Mann read.

A Series of DA Moves This Season

The latest announcement is part of a broader pattern of pre-Diwali relief measures rolled out by the Punjab government in quick succession. Earlier this week, CM Mann had announced the release of a 3 per cent DA instalment for state government employees and pensioners, benefiting nearly 8 lakh beneficiaries. That instalment is to be merged with the December release. In September, the government had already raised DA by 8 per cent for the broader employee and pensioner base.

Taken together, these successive DA revisions represent a deliberate effort by the AAP administration to consolidate its standing among the government workforce ahead of potential political cycles.

Who Benefits and How

The 6,507 PICTES computer teachers are a contractual cadre employed across Punjab's government schools, often working without the full pay-scale protections available to regular staff. The DA enhancement directly raises their monthly take-home and brings their allowance structure closer to that of permanent employees. The regularisation of 1,007 non-teaching employees under Samagra Shiksha — a centrally-sponsored scheme for school education — offers long-term job security to a category of workers that had remained in contractual limbo.

Government's Stated Rationale

CM Mann has repeatedly emphasised that government employees are the 'backbone of the administrative machinery' and play a vital role in delivering welfare schemes. The government, he has stated, believes that 'employee satisfaction is very important for providing better services to the people.' Critics, however, may note that the timing — clustered around a major festival — reflects political signalling as much as welfare intent.

What Comes Next

The salary-related benefits extension for PICTES teachers is yet to be detailed in full, and implementation timelines have not been officially notified. All eyes will be on whether the regularisation of Samagra Shiksha employees translates into corresponding pay-scale upgrades. How the Centre responds to the regularisation of workers under a centrally-sponsored scheme could also be a point of watch in the coming weeks.