The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued a contempt notice to Punjab’s Chief Secretary, KAP Sinha, for failing to implement a pension scheme dating back to 1996. The bench, led by Justices Abhay Oka and N Kotiswar Singh, expressed frustration over the repeated failures to comply with judicial directives regarding the Punjab Privately Managed Affiliated and Punjab Government Aided Colleges Pensionary Benefits Scheme.
Despite assurances given to the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the scheme has not been enacted, prompting the Supreme Court to take a stern stance. “In spite of repeated undertakings given to the high court, compliance has not been made by the state government,” the court noted, questioning why civil and criminal contempt actions should not be initiated against Sinha.
The matter, which has been lingering in the judicial system for years, saw the state government initially promising to publish and implement the scheme by June 15, 2002. However, subsequent actions, including the repealing of rules and presenting a bill to repeal the 1996 scheme retroactively, have led to significant delays.
During the hearing, Punjab’s Advocate General Gurminder Singh promised a positive update by the next hearing date, set for March 24. Meanwhile, the court also sought responses from other officials, including the Deputy Director of the Office of the Director for Public Instruction (Colleges) in Punjab, who is accused of filing a false affidavit.
The court emphasized the importance of transparency and accountability, criticizing the state government for its approach which complicates the judiciary’s ability to rely on statements made by state law officers. “If such an approach is adopted, courts will find it extremely difficult to accept the statements made by the law officers of the states across the Bar,” the bench remarked, highlighting the need for affidavits to support claims made in court.
