Chandigarh: The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday sought a status report from Punjab Chief Secretary KAP Sinha on a petition pending before the Supreme Court concerning payment of outstanding dearness allowance (DA) to government employees.
Sinha appeared before the High Court during Monday’s hearing and informed the bench that certain objections had been raised in the petition filed before the Supreme Court and that those objections had since been addressed.
The High Court has sought a report on the status of the Supreme Court proceedings and scheduled the matter for hearing again on Tuesday. The chief secretary has also been directed to remain present.
The case relates to the High Court’s earlier direction requiring the Punjab government to pay the pending DA to government employees within 15 days. The state government subsequently approached the Supreme Court against the order, but the matter has not yet been taken up for hearing there.
The High Court had earlier observed that if the Punjab government was unable to get the matter listed before the Supreme Court for an early hearing, it would proceed with the case itself.
Following that observation, the High Court had summoned the chief secretary at the previous hearing.
