Court Slams Panjab Govt. Over DA Dues & OBS Oustees Plots

September

2026

Forty-two years after the shops around the Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple) were badly damaged during ‘Operation Blue Star’ (OBS)—Indian Army attack in June 1984—the Punjab and Haryana High Court (PHHC) has directed the Panjab government to allot booths or sites to the affected families at the rate of USD 10.44 per square yard. PHHC said: ‘We have issued the aforesaid directions in view of the rigor and hardship which the petitioners have faced for the last 42 years, which this court is of the firm view have infringed upon their fundamental rights, including the rights guaranteed under Articles 14, 21, and 19 of the Constitution.’ The primary grievance of the petitioners was that both the union and state governments had been delaying the matter for over four decades. Additionally, in the matter concerning Dearness Allowance (DA) dues of Panjab state employees and petitioners, PHHC told Panjab government to pursue its challenge before the Supreme Court of India against the PHHC direction to clear the DA dues within a fortnight, and made it clear that the state could not keep the High Court’s directions in limbo while its Special Leave Petition remained in defects. The court said: ‘Don't try to play. Don't try to hoodwink the Court. Do not try to play games with the Court. You have a right of appeal. Please pursue that right.’ Meanwhile, the Panjab government has formally ordered the dropping of the show-cause notices issued to employees and officials for remaining absent from duty during their mass leave on 27 Aug, after employee organizations called off the pen-down strike on 9 Sep. The move is part of the government-employees’ understanding to end the standoff over their demands, particularly payment of pending DA dues. Furthermore, Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has informed the PHHC that two orders regarding film certification of Panjabi feature film ‘Chardikala’—one passed by the Examining Committee on 26 May and the other by the Revising Committee on 14 Jul—have been withdrawn. Directed by Amarjit Saron, ‘Chardikala’ premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2026. The film was supposed to release in India on 29 May but faced several hurdles with the CBFC (earlier coverage).