Contempt plea filed against Punjab government over non-release of DA arrears

The petitioners, including the retired as well as current working employees of Punjab, filed the plea of August 17.

They alleged that despite the HC’s order dated August 3 to release the pending DA/DR (Dearness Relief) installments within a fortnight, the authorities have failed to implement the order and instead issued instructions restricting its implementation. The fortnightly period prescribed by the court expired on August 17.

The plea has been filed through counsels Sunny Singla and Riti Aggarwal. The petitioners have sought initiation of contempt proceedings under Section 12 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971.

An HC Division Bench, on August 3, had dismissed the appeals filed against the earlier judgments in the DA matter and directed the state and PSPCL to “grant and 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 members of the All India Services (IAS/IPS/IFS) serving within the State of Punjab, in accordance with the Central Government pattern, within a fortnight”.

The Bench also directed that if the payment was not made within the stipulated period, the unpaid amounts would carry simple interest at six per cent per annum from the date the deadline expired until actual realisation. It also directed the Chief Secretary to ensure “scrupulous compliance” and file a compliance report by way of an affidavit before the Registry by August 31, 2026.

The court had directed that till all such dues were cleared, Punjab should not resort to “any unproductive expenditures, such as large-scale advertising campaigns in print or social media”, observing that such expenses could not justify denial of dues admissible to state employees.

According to the petitioners, instead of releasing the benefits, the under secretary issued a letter dated August 17 to all the secretaries stating that “no such orders may be implemented without prior concurrence of the FD or unless generalized directions are issued”.

The petitioners have alleged that this communication restricted the secretaries from implementing the High Court’s order and described the action as “willful, deliberate, intentionally and knowingly violation” of the August 3 judgment.

The petition also points to the HC’s April 8 judgment, according to which the state of Punjab and respondent corporations had been directed to release all the pending DA/DR installments to employees and pensioners at the same rates as paid to members of the All India Services serving in Punjab, in accordance with the Central Government pattern.

The August 3 order subsequently modified the timeline to a fortnight.