High Court sets deadline for Punjab Govt to clear DA arrears for all employees
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, April 8, 2026 –The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the Punjab government to release all pending Dearness Allowance (DA) arrears to employees and pensioners by June 30, 2026, while also ensuring uniform DA rates for all categories of employees.
The court said that DA must be paid at the same updated rate as applicable to senior officers, bringing all employees at par with IAS, IPS, IFS, and judicial officials.
At present, senior officers are receiving 58% DA, while other government employees are being paid 42%. The court observed that such disparity is not justified, especially when lower-paid employees are equally affected by inflation.
The state government had sought additional time citing financial constraints. Taking this into account, the court set a clear deadline for clearing arrears and implementing parity.
The next hearing in the matter is scheduled for July 2026. During the proceedings, petitioners also referred to a 2014 directive stating that DA should be granted uniformly to all employees at the same time.