High Court Punjab-Haryana High Court

Present: Mr. Ks Dadwal vs Mr.Mukesh Berry on 18 August, 2008

Punjab-Haryana High Court
Present: Mr. Ks Dadwal vs Mr.Mukesh Berry on 18 August, 2008
COCP No.1484 of 2006                                    -1-


      In the High Court of Punjab and Haryana at Chandigarh.


      Hardev Singh Parmar Vs. Joginder Dass and another


                        Date of decision: 18.08.2008.



Present:    Mr. KS Dadwal, Advocate, for the petitioner.

            Mr.Mukesh Berry, Addl. AG, Punjab.

            Mr.DV Sharma, Senior Advocate, with
            Ms.Shivani Sharma, Advocate.
            --

PERMOD KOHLI, J. (Oral)

Exemption from personal appearance is granted.

In Civil Writ Petition No.11609 of 2006, the following

directions were issued by a Division Bench of this Court vide order dated

31.07.2006:-

“We dispose of this Writ Petition with a direction

to respondent Nos.4 and 5 to send the complete

pension papers of the petitioner to respondent No.3

i.e. Distt. Education Officer (Secondary

Education), Kapurthala, within a period of two

weeks on receipt of certified copy of this order.

It appears that the above said directions were not complied

with and the petitioner moved the present contempt petition seeking

implementation of the same. During the pendency of the contempt petition,
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various interlocutory orders came to be passed directing the respondents to

implement the judgment and even, prima-facie, this Court formulated an

opinion that the respondents are guilty of non-compliance of the Court’s

direction. However, vide order dated 01.11.2007, the Court made the

following observations:-

“Having heard the learned counsel for the parties

at some length, it is apparent that in terms of the

order passed by the School Tribunal, the petitioner

has been ordered to be reinstated in the service.

The suspension period has already been ordered to

be counted as duty period. The said part of the

order has not been stayed by the Writ Court.

Therefore, the fact that the period from 29.10.1989

to 31.03.1997 has not to be treated as duty period,

shows willful disobedience to the orders passed by

the School Tribunal. Since the pension has not

been paid after calculating the above said period,

prima-facie, I am of the opinion that the such

action amounts to willful disobedience to the

orders passed by the Tribunal and consequently

discloses a civil contempt within the meaning of

Section 2 (b) of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971.

However, before any further action is

taken, an opportunity is given to the respondents to

comply with the order. If the order is not complied
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with before the next date of hearing,the

respondents shall remain present in the Court.”

The respondents have filed copy of an order dated 08.08.2008

wherein it has been held that period with effect from 24.05.1995 to

30.03.1997 cannot be considered as qualifying period for the purpose of

granting pensionary benefits in view of Rule 6 (2) of the Privately Managed

Recognised Aided Schools Retirement Benefits Scheme, 1992. The

respondents have passed a speaking order specifically mentioning therein

that no leave was due to the petitioner and hence this period has been

treated as “extra-ordinary leave” in view of the aforesaid provisions of law.

This period cannot be treated as qualifying service period for pension.

Order dated 08.08.2008 has been passed in compliance of the directions

issued by this Court on 28.07.2008, 01.11.2007 as also the original order

dated 31.07.2006.

Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the period with

effect from 24.05.1995 to 30.03.1997 has been wrongly excluded from the

qualifying period of service of the petitioner.

If the petitioner is aggrieved of the consideration accorded by

the respondents by a speaking order, he is at liberty to seek appropriate

remedy available to him under the law. However, directions of this Court

have been carried out. Nothing survives in this petition.

A draft of the amount due to the petitioner, has been handed
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over to the learned counsel for the petitioner today in Court by Mr. Berry

which is accepted by Mr.Dadwal on behalf of the petitioner under protest

reserving his right in appropriate proceedings.

18.08.2008                                        (PERMOD KOHLI)
BLS                                                    JUDGE