The Punjab and Haryana High Court has ordered the recovery of ₹1.5 lakh from the personal accounts of officials of Punjab’s Rural Development and Panchayats Department over persistent delays in releasing retirement benefits and failing to deposit a court-imposed penalty. Justice Harkesh Manuja directed that the amount be recovered from officials who headed the directorate between September and November 2024 and deposited into the department’s account, clarifying that the recovery must proceed in the same manner as arrears of land revenue. The court also ordered the department to disburse ₹1.5 lakh to the retired employee, Puran Chand Bissarwal, within three working days.
Unpaid Penalty Prompts Renewed Judicial Scrutiny
The case arises from prolonged delays in the disbursement of revised gratuity and other retiral dues to Bissarwal, who had previously approached the High Court to secure his outstanding payments. During earlier hearings, the court penalised the concerned officials ₹50,000 on September 6, 2024, followed by an additional penalty of ₹1 lakh on September 30, 2024, after they assured the bench that all pending dues would be cleared within two weeks. While Bissarwal eventually received his revised retirement benefits, the officials failed to deposit the cumulative ₹1.5 lakh penalty, compelling the pensioner to file a fresh petition to seek enforcement of the penalty orders.
Department Fails to Justify Administrative Delays
During the proceedings, the High Court observed that the department had offered no satisfactory justification for withholding the payments in the first place. The Special Secretary of the department, who appeared in court, was unable to identify any missing documentation that Bissarwal had failed to submit or that could not have been procured from government offices or banks. Noting that gratuity and retirement dues form the bedrock of a pensioner’s financial security, the bench observed that repeated delays force retired employees into unnecessary hardship and unwarranted litigation to claim their legitimate rights.
Direct Recovery from Personal Accounts Ordered
To enforce institutional accountability, the High Court directed the Secretary of the department to ensure that the ₹1.5 lakh payment reaches Bissarwal within three working days from the department’s funds. The court warned that failure to comply within the stipulated timeframe would require the concerned official to appear personally at the next hearing. In a concurrent directive, the District Magistrate of Chandigarh was instructed to recover the ₹1.5 lakh directly from the personal bank accounts of the officials who headed the directorate between September and November 2024, ensuring the state exchequer does not absorb the cost of administrative non-compliance.
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