Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 23

Set your house in order, lest the court is compelled to intervene, the Punjab and Haryana High Court onWednesday warned the State of Punjab.

The word of caution by Justice Anil Kshetarpal came in a case where the dependents/heirs of a rural medical officer of the state were “being made to run from pillar to post” after he died in harness.

“It is apparent that the State of Punjab has to put its house in order, lest the court is compelled to take a serious view of the matter,” Justice Kshetarpal asserted. Referring to the facts of the case, Justice Kshetarpal said the High Court was sad to observe that “the officials have lost all compassion”. Describing the matter as "unfortunate", Justice Kshetarpal said he hoped that the order would serve as a wake-up call for the officers.

Order a WAKE-UP CALL FOR OFFICERS

Referring to the facts of the case, Justice Anil Kshetarpal said the High Court was sad to observe that “the officials have lost all compassion”

Describing the matter as “unfortunate”, Justice Kshetarpal said he hoped that the order would serve as a wake-up call for the officers

The admonition came on a petition filed against the State of Punjab and other respondents by Balbir Kaur. Taking up the matter, Justice Kshetarpal observed the petitioner lost her son on November 26, 2016. At the time of his death, he was working as a rural medical officer with the State of Punjab.

His widow and children shifted to Canada and submitted an affidavit giving 'no objection' to the authorities to release the pension benefits exclusively to the petitioner-mother. The writ petition was filed by her for the issuance of directions to the official respondents to release pension and other admissible benefits exclusively to her.

Justice Kshetarpal, during the course of hearing, took note of a short reply filed by a respondent, which stated that the department concerned did not release the amount since the widow did not contact it along with necessary papers. It was also submitted that the widow was required to sign necessary papers before the pension and other pending benefits could be released.

Justice Kshetarpal also took note of the submissions by the respondents that approximately Rs 3 lakh was subsequently released to the petitioner as the arrears of medical reimbursement, salary, leave encashment and ex gratia. The process for releasing the payment on the account of contributory provident fund and family pension, too, had also been initiated. The amount legally due to the petitioner will also be released.

Disposing of the petition, Justice Kshetarpal said the court was compelled to make the observations after noting the stand of the parties. “The petitioner shall be at liberty to move an application for the revival of the writ petition, if she feels still aggrieved with respect to the subject matter of the writ petition,” Justice Kshetarpal concluded.