Chandigarh: Punjab govt has informed Punjab and Haryana high court that the state cabinet is not bound to implement increases in dearness allowance (DA) or dearness relief (DR) in line with rates announced by Union govt.It says release of instalments of DA / DR is a policy decision of state govt, “taken from time to time after assessing its financial position”. According to govt, it had decided that it “may endeavour” to align DA hikes with those announced by the Centre.HC is hearing a petition that says DA instalments that came into effect on July 1, 2023, have not been released to state employees and pensioners while all-India service officers (IAS/IPS/IFS) and judicial officers in Punjab have been receiving DA regularly from the actual due dates on the pattern of central govt employees. The petitioners, along with other serving employees and pensioners, have been subjected to “hostile discrimination”, the plea in HC says. This led the court on March 11 to seek a detailed reply from Punjab govt.HC had asked govt to submit information on the date on which DA instalments, on the pattern applicable to central govt employees, were paid to all-India service officers and judicial officers serving in Punjab. Govt filed the reply through an affidavit by additional chief secretary (finance).HC has been informed that as per the cabinet memorandum dated June 18, 2021, the expenditure on salaries and pensions for 2021-22 fiscal was estimated at Rs 39,481 crore and the net arrear burden from Jan 1, 2016, to June 30, 2021 was estimated at around Rs 13,759 crores.“Keeping in view of the financial health of the state, state govt with approval of the state cabinet, had issued a systematic liquidation plan on Feb 18, 2025. The total financial implication for payment of arrears of revised pay / pension / family pensions (including DA / DR) and leave encashment is around Rs 14,191 crore,” the state has informed in its affidavit.
