Chandigarh, Aug 17 (IANS) Punjab Congress chief Raja Amarinder Singh Warring on Monday accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann of showing contempt towards the judiciary, after the state Finance Department issued directions that appeared to override a Punjab and Haryana High Court order on payment of dearness allowance (DA) to government employees.
“It is unprecedented. Punjab Finance Department dares to overrule the orders of the Hon Punjab and Haryana High Court about the payment of DA to government employees,” he said.
He pointed out that the Finance Department has issued a blanket order to all departments stating that no such orders may be implemented without prior concurrence of the FD or unless generalised directions are issued.
“Shall the Court orders really be implemented subject to the approval of the Finance Department? That’s what today’s orders suggest,” Warring added, expressing strong disapproval of the government’s stance.
Joining the issue, former Congress Cabinet minister Vijay Inder Singla also launched a scathing attack on the AAP government.
He said, “Disregarding the bench, drowning the state in reckless debt, and shortchanging employees just to promote the interest of political masters in Delhi is an unpardonable insult to the people of Punjab.”
He further remarked that CM Mann isn’t running a government; he is running an evasion scheme. When a Chief Minister believes his political survival sits above the judiciary, democratic governance has officially surrendered to sheer arrogance.
The controversy has sparked a fresh debate in Punjab’s political circles, with the Congress accusing the AAP government of undermining judicial authority and ignoring the legitimate concerns of government employees.
The issue of dearness allowance (DA) payments has long been a sensitive matter in the state, often leading to disputes between employees and the administration.
Observers note that the Finance Department’s directive could set a precedent for how government orders are interpreted vis‑à‑vis judicial rulings, raising questions about the balance of power between the executive and the judiciary.
The Congress leadership has said it will continue to highlight the matter inside and outside the Assembly, pressing the government to respect the courts’ authority and fulfil its obligations to employees.
–IANS
vg/dan