State publishes civil services rules in bulk

Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 8

Just about three months after the Punjab and Haryana High Court called for details regarding publication of Haryana Civil Services Rules for the public at large, the Chief Secretary claimed printing of thousands of copies of six up-to-date books.

In response to orders passed by the High Court on the issue in October last, Chief Secretary Depinder Singh Dhesi filed an affidavit to this effect before Justice Amol Rattan Singh’s Bench through the state counsel.

The affidavit said six updated books of the Haryana Civil Services Rules — Haryana Civil Services (General) Rules, 2016; Haryana Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 2016; Haryana Civil Services (Leave) Rules, 2016; Haryana Civil Services (General Provident Fund) Rules, 2016; Haryana Civil Services (Government Employees’ Conduct) Rules, 2016; and Haryana Civil Services (Punishment and Appeal) Rules, 2016, have been printed in thousands.

The Bench was also told that the Haryana Civil Services (Allowances to Government Employees) Rules, 2016, and Haryana Civil Services (Travelling 1 of 2 Allowance) Rules, 2016, would be made available to the public by March 31.

The developments took place on a petition filed by Baljit Kaur in a service matter. Taking up the case on the previous date of hearing, Justice Anmol Rattan Singh had observed that the issue revolving around the publication of Civil Services Rules applicable to each state had also been taken up in the plea.

Referring to an order dated December 1, 2016, Justice Anmol Rattan Singh had asserted that the Chief Secretary’s stand then was that a large number of amendments had been made in the service rules following revision of pay scales and new terminology being used regarding pay scales and pay bands.

The amendments were likely to be incorporated in then newly notified Haryana Civil Services Rules by March 31, 2017. Justice Anmol Rattan Singh had added that even six months later, such amendments were not shown to have been incorporated, with rules not printed by the Haryana Government.

Justice Anmol Rattan Singh had directed the Chief Secretary to file his personal affidavit yet again, giving details regarding the number of copies printed by the government press or outsourced agency and distributed on a large scale “so as to ensure that the rules are available to the public at large”.