Pay Rs 306-cr arrears to civic bodies: HC

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 28

Acting on a contempt petition filed by employees of the Kotkapura Municipal Council, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today directed the state government to immediately pay Rs 305.76 crore to all municipal council and corporations. 

The Bench was told that the HC had earlier asserted that in case of non-availability of funds, the pay of junior low- salaried staff would not be stopped. Rather, the salaries of high-ranking officers would be stopped in the first instance. But the direction was ignored by the councils, and the petitioners again approached the HC with a contempt petition filed though counsel Gagneshwar Walia.

Justice Rajesh Bindal was told that despite the orders, the employees’ pay was again stopped and the arrears were Rs 4 crore on account of excise duty. The court then directed the Director, Local Government, to file an affidavit regarding the arrears. In the affidavit, it was stated that only Rs 15 crore was paid by the government on May 16.