The Punjab and Haryana High Court slapped the Punjab Chief Secretary with a ₹1 lakh fine on Thursday, citing his failure to implement orders on Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief arrears.
The court ordered the chief secretary to appear on November 3 and file a personal affidavit explaining why the state has not released the pending benefits to employees and pensioners.
During the hearing, the bench questioned the government's uneven treatment of workers, noting that while regular employees and retirees remained unpaid, senior officials continued to receive their dues.
Counsel for the affected workers said the state's Special Leave Petition lodged before the Supreme Court has been stuck on the defect list for more than two months, further delaying relief.
The November 3 session will test the chief secretary's compliance and could force the government to expedite the arrears, according to the court's directive.