Punjab DA Case: High Court says it will not be browbeaten, will uphold Constitutional oath
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, September 7, 2026: The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday made it clear that it would proceed strictly according to law while hearing proceedings concerning the pending Dearness Allowance (DA) and Dearness Relief (DR) dues of Punjab government employees and pensioners.
As reported by Bar And Bench, Chief Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra, who took oath as Chief Justice earlier in the day, said the court would not be influenced by pressure or tactics from either side and would remain committed to the Constitution and the rule of law.
The observation came while a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Mishra and Justice Rohit Kapoor heard applications connected with the court’s earlier directions on payment of pending DA/DR to Punjab government employees and pensioners.
“This Court would be governed by the rule of law and this institution will not be browbeaten by any kind of tactics,” the Chief Justice observed, adding that the judges had taken an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution.
The Bench further told both sides that it would not be influenced by the submissions of either the petitioners or the Punjab government and would decide the matter strictly in accordance with law.
Court had ordered payment of pending DA/DR
The High Court had, in August, directed the Punjab government to release the pending instalments of DA/DR to its employees and pensioners by August 31.
The court had also directed the State government to refrain from what it described as unproductive expenditure, including large-scale advertising campaigns in print and social media, until the dues were cleared. The Punjab government has challenged the order before the Supreme Court.
Two applications relating to compliance with the earlier order came up for hearing on Monday. The applicants alleged that the State government had not fully complied with the directions issued by the High Court.
Senior Advocate Chetan Mittal, appearing for one of the applicants, submitted that the Punjab government had not yet filed the compliance affidavit directed by the court.
The Bench, however, said it had not examined the case file and would take up the matter later in the week.
Senior Advocate Sanjay Kaushal, also appearing for an applicant, told the court that the Punjab government had approached the Supreme Court against the August order but the appeal had reportedly not yet cleared defects pointed out by the Supreme Court registry.
Kaushal also alleged that the Punjab government continued to release full-page advertisements in newspapers across different states. He further referred to expenditure incurred by the State government on payments made to women on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan.
When counsel representing the Punjab government objected to the submissions, the Bench reiterated that it was not inclined to hear the matter on Monday and fixed it for Thursday.
At the same time, the court made it clear that its proceedings would remain guided by law and that it would not be influenced by any form of pressure or tactics from either side.