P&H High Court: Summons Punjab Chief Secretary Over DA Case Delay

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday pulled up the Punjab government for its failure to clear the defects in appeal filed by the State before the Supreme Court challenging the High Court's recent order for payment of pending Dearness Allowance (DA) to the State employees. Hence, it proceeded to summon the State's Chief Secretary over what it perceived to be a deliberate ploy by the State to avoid implementing the High Court's directions.On August 3, the High Court had directed the State to release all up-to-date pending installments of Dearness Allowance/Dearness Relief (DA/DR) to all its employees and pensioners, respectively, at the same rates as has been paid to the All India Services (IAS/IPS/IFS) officers serving within Punjab.The judgment, which also bars the government from resorting to any unproductive expenditures such as large-scale advertising campaigns in print or social media till non-payment of the dues, has been challenged by the State before the Supreme CourtA Division Bench of Chief Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Justice Rohit Kapoor, today noted that the Court on September 10 had granted the State government more time to get its appeal cleared for listing. However, it added that the State still had failed to do so. The appeal was filed on September 1."We gave you time. If you are playing to some strategy...there is a judicial order. We understand how much in public spirit you are proceeding. You have all the right to file the appeal but we will no