HC puts itself on notice on ex-registrar’s plea

Chandigarh, September 25

The Punjab and Haryana High Court stayed the operation of its own administrative order, seeking to withdraw the benefits of time scale, on a petition filed by its former registrar. The Bench has also put the High Court on notice on the petition filed by Ashok Kumar Arora.

Appearing before the Bench, Arora’s counsel Puneet Gupta pointed out that the petitioner was promoted as joint registrar on July 22, 2011, and thereafter, to the post of Registrar. He was designated Registrar Protocol and Court Officer

(Maintenance) and (Purchase) on July 23, 2015.

During his period of service, recovery of 20 per cent of the additional pay granted to a registrar promoted was protected, since they were entitled to the benefit of the same pay as admissible to the superior judicial service members in the time scale. After the petitioner retired on May 3, 2018, the benefits of time scale were sought to be withdrawn vide the impugned order dated July 12.

Arora, in his petition placed before Justice GS Sandhawalia, was seeking direction for quashing impugned order dated July 12, whereby the time scale granted was “illegally withdrawn”. Directions were also sought for the grant of all consequential benefits, along with 18 per cent interest from the date of its accrual till the date of actual payment

This is the third petition challenging the impugned order. Before parting with the matter, Justice Sandhawalia fixed the case on October 10 for further hearing on the petitions. — TNS