Chandigarh: Protesting Punjab government employees called off their pen-down strike on Wednesday, the second day of their agitation, following an assurance from chief secretary KAP Sinha that no punitive action will be taken against them.

The state government had previously declared a “no work, no pay” rule on Tuesday and threatened strict measures against absentee staff, prompting the Sanjha Mulazim Manch—the joint forum leading the agitation—to intensify their demonstration across secretariats, deputy commissioner offices, tehsils, and state department directorates.

The forum was initially set to continue the strike till Friday, marking the second phase of a campaign that began with mass casual leave on August 27 after a scheduled meeting with chief minister Bhagwant Mann in Jalandhar was abruptly cancelled at the last hour.

While cabinet minister Aman Arora urged staff to return to work, arguing that the strike was illegal and that the core issue of dearness allowance (DA) arrears remains sub judice, the employees insisted on full settlement of their dues. The dispute stems from an August 3 Punjab and Haryana high court verdict directing the state to release roughly ₹14,191 crore in pending DA arrears.

The state government has since appealed the order before the Supreme Court, arguing that releasing such a sum within a fortnight is fiscally impossible.

While the government agreed to withdraw its directives warning of disciplinary steps, union leaders clarified that their broader agitation will proceed as planned.

Protesters demanding the release of pending DA arrears and updates to pay perks plan to organise a mock Vidhan Sabha session on September 30, followed by demonstrations outside ministers’ residences in October.