Chandigarh: A day after the Punjab and Haryana High Court directed the Punjab government to clear the pending dearness allowance (DA) arrears of its employees and pensioners, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government said its legal team is examining the judgment and the state’s constitutional powers, while also considering challenging the order before a higher court.
Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said implementing the order would place an additional financial burden of around ₹20,000 crore on the state exchequer.
Cheema said the government was surprised by the High Court’s direction, pointing out that the state was already following a liquidation plan approved by the High Court to clear ₹14,191 crore in pending arrears.
He said the legal team is studying the judgment in detail and examining the constitutional aspects before taking a final decision on filing an appeal.
