Dispose of property to pay staff salary: Punjab and Haryana High Court to Lehragaga institute

Chandigarh, April 25

Acting on a petition filed by the employees of Baba Hira Singh Bhattal Institute of Engineering and Technology, Lehragaga, claiming non-payment of salary since December 2019, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has ordered disposal of its property.

“Keeping in view the facts, this court is left with no choice but to direct the Principal Secretary, Department of Technical Education and Industrial Training, who is a member of the institute’s board of governors, to dispose of its property in order to pay the amount to the petitioners within a month from today,” Justice Anil Kshetarpal said.

As a bunch of petitions filed against the state of Punjab and other respondents by Ajit Singh and other petitioners through advocate HC Arora came up for resumed hearing, Justice Kshetarpal ordered the continuation of the interim order restraining the institute from disposing of its property before settling the preferential claim of the petitioner-employees. The order would remain in operation till the claim of the petitioner-employees was settled.

In his detailed order, Justice Kshetarpal said the court had been informed that the institute concerned possessed certain assets and maintained bank accounts. It was also stated that services of petitioners had not been dispensed with as of now.