Court attaches stats dept DG’s salary for disobedience

Ishfaq Tantry

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, March 22

The Srinagar District and Sessions Court today issued orders for attaching the salary of the Director General, Department of Economics and Statistics, for wilful disobedience of the court orders.

Acting on a contempt petition, the Principal District and Sessions Judge, Srinagar, Rashid Ali Dar, in his order today, also directed the Treasury Officer, Moving Secretariat, to attach the account heads being operated by the respondent department, besides attaching the salary of the Director General, Riyaz Ahmad Banday, till further orders.

The court, in its orders on March 29, 2016, had directed the Director General concerned to deposit a revalidated amount of Rs 138.39 lakh in the court after its withdrawal from the treasury during the currency of the financial year that is up to March 31, 2016. The said revalidated amount was to be paid to the applicant, MIPS Technologies, owned by Mehraj Gulzar of Srinagar, who had executed the contract works awarded by the Director General vide allotment dated February 24, 2014.

As he was not paid the same amount due to him, the applicant approached the Srinagar Sessions Court, seeking release of the revalidated amount of Rs 138.39 lakh.

“From the records, it is evident that the respondent has flouted the orders passed by this court on March 29, 2016, by making default in having deposited the amount referred to in the order in the court. He later agreed to deposit the amount in the court as per his own convenience referred to in the order dated October 19, 2016, and the statement of the respondent was recorded in this regard,” the court observed in its orders today.

“But, the said arrangement too had been observed in breach (by him) and no good ground is put forth as to why the orders passed by this court on March 29, 2016, and October 19, 2016, have been flouted,” the court said, while directing for attaching the account heads except salary component of the Department of Economics and Statistics to ensure that the orders of the court are acted upon.

“The direction is accordingly passed to the Treasury Officer, Moving Secretariat, to attach the account heads being operated by the respondent department. The salary of the respondent, Riyaz Ahmad Banday, Director General, shall remain attached till further orders,” the court said, adding that the DG should also show cause as to why he should not be sent to civil prison for disobedience of the court directions.