Chandigarh: The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday heard the matter concerning the pending dearness allowance (DA) arrears of Punjab government employees and pensioners. During the hearing, newly appointed Chief Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra said the court would function strictly according to the rule of law and that no strategy could put the institution under pressure.
“We will proceed entirely according to the law. We have taken an oath to uphold the Constitution and know how to protect it,” the Chief Justice said.
Employees had filed a fresh petition on September 2, alleging that despite clear directions from the High Court, the Punjab government had not released the pending DA arrears. They also alleged that the government had failed to file a compliance report as directed by the court.
The development comes days after the Punjab government announced a proposal to increase DA from 42% to 60% for around 85,000 employees recruited after July 17, 2020. The proposal is awaiting final approval from Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
What has happened so far in the Punjab DA case
DA instalments pending: Government employees and pensioners have been seeking release of their long-pending DA instalments and have held repeated protests over the issue.
Case reaches High Court: On April 8, the High Court’s single bench directed the Punjab government to release the pending DA of employees and pensioners by June 30.
Punjab government challenges order: The government filed an LPA against the order, arguing that the single bench did not have the authority to issue such directions.
August 3, 2026 judgment: A bench comprising then Acting Chief Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Justice Rohit Kapoor dismissed the government’s appeals and upheld the direction to release the pending DA instalments.
Two-week deadline: The court directed the Punjab government and PSPCL to release the pending DA within two weeks. It also said that until the arrears were paid, the government should avoid large-scale advertising and other non-productive expenditure in print and social media.
Government approaches Supreme Court: On September 1, Punjab challenged the High Court decision in the Supreme Court. The SLP was reportedly found to have nine technical defects, which are yet to be rectified.
Separate DA proposal for 85,000 employees: The Punjab government has proposed raising DA from 42% to 60% for around 85,000 employees recruited after July 2020. Final approval from the chief minister is pending.
