CHANDIGARH, 4th November 2026: Finance Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema today held a high-level meeting with representatives of the Punjab Civil Services (Executive Branch) Officers’ Association to discuss their longstanding cadre-related issues and pending demands. After detailed deliberations on the memorandum submitted by the Association, the Finance Minister directed the Officers’ Committee to thoroughly examine the representations and submit a comprehensive report at the earliest to facilitate their time-bound resolution.
During the meeting, the PCS Officers’ Association submitted a formal memorandum highlighting several important financial and administrative issues affecting the cadre. Among its key financial demands was the restoration of the entry-level pay scale to ₹56,100 to reinstate historical parity with IAS and PCS (Judicial) officers and address the existing anomaly that has reduced it to Level 9.
The Association also sought withdrawal of instructions restricting initial appointments during probation to basic pay without allowances, along with retrospective arrears for the affected batches. It further pressed for restoration of the Dynamic Assured Career Progression (DACP) scheme to address chronic stagnation in the cadre, besides the immediate release of pending 6th Punjab Pay Commission dues and Dearness Allowance (DA) arrears.
On cadre management and promotional avenues, the delegation urged the state government to establish a streamlined mechanism for the timely elevation of PCS officers to the IAS cadre and introduce a consistent annual recruitment calendar to prevent the accumulation of promotion backlogs.
The memorandum also highlighted the need to regulate optional appointments to the IAS from Non-State Civil Services officers to safeguard the promotional avenues of the PCS cadre. The Association further sought appropriate deployment of PCS officers against earmarked departmental and Head of Department posts, along with the prompt issuance of notifications regarding the approved reduction in qualifying service years for internal promotions.
The Association also emphasised the need for adequate representation of senior PCS officers in the committee currently reviewing the PCS (EB) Service Rules to ensure that the broader interests of the cadre are duly protected.
Reaffirming the state government’s commitment to an efficient and motivated bureaucracy, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema assured the delegation that the legitimate administrative and financial grievances of the cadre would be considered sympathetically and addressed promptly.
The meeting was attended by Special Secretary Finance Showkat Ahmad Parray, Special Secretary Personnel Upkar Singh, and PCS Officers’ Association members Sakatar Singh Bal, Sukhpreet Sidhu, Harjeet Singh Sidhu, Avikesh Gupta, Vikas Hira, Jagdeep Sehgal, Deepankar Garg and Rishab Bansal.