SC stays contempt proceedings against Punjab chief secretary over Rs 22,818 cr DA arrears, seeks payment plan

Neeraj Bali New Delhi/Chandigarh, Nov 5 (UNI) The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed criminal contempt proceedings against Punjab Chief Secretary K.A.P. Sinha over the state government's failure to clear Rs 22,818 cr in dearness allowance (DA) and dearness relief (DR) arrears, while seeking a payment roadmap from the government by December 1. A bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and R Mahadevan also directed that no coercive steps be taken in the related civil contempt proceedings, providing temporary relief to the state's top bureaucrat amid a dispute involving total outstanding employee and pensioner liabilities of Rs 32,418 crore. The court asked…