DA arrears: Punjab moves SC, says not ‘lawfully possible’ to pay Rs 14,191 cr in 15 days
In a bid to clear an outstanding ₹14,191 crore in dearness allowance (DA) and dearness relief (DR) dues to state employees and pensioners within two weeks, the Punjab government has filed a petition in the Supreme Court. The government argues that the order issued by the Punjab and Haryana High Court on August 3 is not only difficult to comply with but "constitutionally impossible."
The high court's direction to pay the dues at rates applicable to All India Services officers serving in Punjab has been challenged as it violates the constitutionally prescribed procedure laid out in Articles 202 to 206 of the Constitution. The state contends that it lacks the power to determine the service conditions of its employees and doubts the basis for comparing DA rates with those of central government and All India Services officers.
The government also questions the high court's treatment of the state's arrears as an "unproductive" expenditure and has proposed a Cabinet-approved plan for liquidating the arrears over five financial years instead of settling the entire liability within a fortnight.
Written by urgent.news from Hindustan Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
