Chandigarh, Sept. 17 -- Punjab, which is currently facing a standoff between the state government and its employees and pensioners over the payment of dearness allowance (DA) arrears, carries one of the heaviest employee-related expenditure burdens among the major states in the country.

The per capita salary expenditure of Punjab was among the 18 major states at approximately Rs.11,000. It was followed by Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, where the per capita salary expenditure ranges between Rs.11,000 and Rs.10,000 in 2023-24, while Bihar's per capita spending on employee salaries was only Rs.4,500, according to estimates available in the 16th Finance Commission report.

Similarly, Punjab also ranked among the major st...