The Punjab and Haryana High Court asserted its commitment to the Constitution and rule of law during a session on Monday regarding the pending Dearness Allowance (DA) payments for Punjab government employees and pensioners. Chief Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra emphasized the court’s resilience against any coercive tactics, stating that the court would remain faithful to its constitutional oath.
Justice Mishra, who had recently assumed the role of Chief Justice, addressed the matter alongside Justice Rohit Kapoor. His remarks came amidst ongoing disagreements concerning the Punjab government’s resistance to his elevation.
Commitment to the Constitution
“This Court would be governed by the rule of law, and this institution will not be browbeaten by any kind of tactics. Therefore, we will go strictly as per the law. We have taken the oath of the Constitution, and we know how to preserve our oath and defend it,” Chief Justice Mishra declared.
He further asserted that the court would not be swayed by arguments from either the petitioners or the government, stating, “Either side, don’t comment! You may have a lot of things to say or do, we will go by law. We have taken the oath of the Constitution.”
Previous Rulings and Compliance Issues
Earlier in August, the court had directed the Punjab government to release all pending DA and dearness relief installments to its employees and pensioners by the end of the month. Additionally, the court had advised against engaging in non-essential expenditures, such as extensive advertising campaigns, until the dues were settled. The Punjab government has since contested this directive in the Supreme Court.
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In the latest proceedings, two applications regarding the matter were presented to the High Court. Allegations were made that the government had not yet adhered to the court’s deadline. Senior Advocate Chetan Mittal represented one applicant, who claimed the government had failed to submit a compliance affidavit as previously instructed by the court.
Despite these assertions, the bench opted to defer the hearing until later in the week, citing the need for further review of the case file. Senior Advocate Sanjay Kaushal, representing another applicant, indicated that the government had appealed to the Supreme Court post-August 31 but had not rectified the issues noted by the Supreme Court registry. He also highlighted ongoing large-scale advertising by the state, and significant funds disbursed for the Raksha Bandhan festival.
Future Proceedings and Court’s Stance
When a Punjab government counsel objected to these claims, the court reiterated its decision to postpone the matter to Thursday, maintaining its resolve to remain uninfluenced by external pressures.
