The Punjab and Haryana HC has termed the Punjab government’s conduct in the dearness allowance case painful and sent the contempt applications to the roster judge. No finding of contempt has been recorded against anyone.
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Chandigarh: On Friday, the Punjab and Haryana High Court described the Punjab government’s conduct in the dearness allowance (DA) case as “very painful” and referred the applications seeking action over non-compliance with its recent order to the roster judge having contempt jurisdiction.
The applications seek action against the State for not complying with the High Court’s recent direction to pay pending dearness allowance to its employees. Contempt proceedings are for the judge assigned that jurisdiction to hear, and the observations made at this stage are not findings against any officer. The Court’s remark was made while dealing with the State’s conduct in the matter.
The background
The dispute arises from the High Court’s August 2026 ruling, in which a Division Bench of Chief Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Justice Rohit Kapoor dismissed the appeals of the Punjab government and the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited. The Court held that, once the State adopted the Central Government’s pattern for dearness allowance and dearness relief, it was bound to release the accrued instalments to its employees and pensioners.
The State then approached the Supreme Court, but the appeal was held up before the Supreme Court Registry on account of defects. On 6 October 2026, the High Court issued a notice to Punjab Chief Secretary KP Sinha, asking why criminal contempt proceedings should not be initiated against him over the statement made about the re-filing of the appeal, and directed him to appear in person on Friday. The Court had said at that stage that its observations were prima facie, and the notice was a show cause notice only. The Advocate General had told the Court that the appeal was re-filed on 1 October and that the Registry might have raised later objections.
The order of Friday
On Friday, the Court said the State’s conduct in the matter was “very painful”. It then directed that the applications be placed before the roster judge dealing with contempt matters, who will take up the question of compliance with the DA order. The allegations of non-compliance are yet to be adjudicated.
Why the order matters
The reference moves the dispute from the Division Bench, which decided the appeals, to the judge who hears contempt of court matters under the roster. That is the forum where compliance with the August ruling will now be examined, alongside whatever the State does in the Supreme Court.
For the State employees and pensioners awaiting the instalments, the question before the roster judge will be whether the order has been complied with. The State’s contentions on compliance, and its appeal before the Supreme Court, remain to be considered.
Case Title: Applications seeking compliance with the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s August 2026 judgment on dearness allowance and dearness relief (case number not available)
Court: Punjab and Haryana High Court, Chandigarh
Date of Order: October 9, 2026