PTC Web Desk: In a significant relief for lakhs of government employees in Punjab, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday directed the state government to grant uniform Dearness Allowance (DA) to all employees, bringing them on a par with senior officials.

The court ordered that all government employees, including pensioners, be paid DA equivalent to that received by top officers such as IAS, IPS, IFS officers and members of the judiciary. It also directed the Punjab Government to clear all pending dues by June 30 and submit a compliance report.

According to official data, Punjab has over 3.5 lakh regular government employees and more than 4 lakh pensioners, all of whom stand to benefit from the order. The next hearing in the matter is scheduled for July 2.

Background of the case

Until now, senior officers were receiving DA at the rate of 58%, while other government employees were being paid only 42%. This disparity had triggered widespread dissatisfaction among employees, who had been demanding parity for a long time.

Counsel for the employees, Rashpinder Singh, informed the court that around 200 serving and retired staff from various corporations had approached the High Court through multiple petitions. He argued that Punjab traditionally followed the Centre’s formula for DA revisions, under which increments were released twice a year until 2019. However, the state government cleared only one installment in 2022 (retrospectively), another in 2023  and the last on October 24, 2024.

The petitioners contended that while DA for central government employees has crossed 58%, Punjab employees continue to receive only 42%.

The court passed an interim order directing the state to clear all arrears, estimated at around Rs 1,400 crore, by June 30, warning that failure to comply would invite contempt of court.

The Punjab government cited financial constraints, but the court rejected the argument, stating that employees’ rightful dues must be paid.

- PTC NEWS

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