The Punjab and Haryana High Court has ordered the Punjab government to settle the pending dearness allowance (DA) for state employees and pensioners by June 30. Justice Harpreet Singh Brar issued this directive during a hearing concerning multiple petitions that highlighted delays in DA payments. Advocate Rashpinder Singh, representing the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited employees, stated that the court rejected the government's claims of financial strain as a reason for the delay. The petitioners argued that while serving officers of the All India Services and judicial officers in Punjab have been receiving their DA regularly, other employees and pensioners faced 'hostile discrimination.' The DA is typically revised twice a year based on the All India Consumer Price Index, and historically, Punjab has aligned its DA payments with those of the central government. The next court hearing on this issue is set for July 2.