HC notice to Haryana on retd judge’s plea

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana high court on Monday put the Haryana government on notice on a petition moved by justice Iqbal Singh (retd) , Haryana gurdwara election commission chief.

The response has been sought by October 26. Singh was appointed the commissioner in August 2014 after the then Congress government enacted the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Act, 2014, for the management of gurdwara properties within Haryana.

The court was told the government had failed to release the salary, allowances and concessions to him from the date of his joining as commissioner to date, except the period during which the he served as the chairman of the Haryana Statute Review Committee from July 24, 2015 to September 24, 2016. During that period, he was paid the salary, allowances and concessions equivalent to that of a sitting HC judge.

He told the court the respondents had claimed the government had not fixed the terms and conditions and the Act under which the appointment was made was under challenge before the Supreme Court. The retired judge sought directions to the government to fix and release the salary and emoluments, as he had been paying out of his own pocket the salary of driver and petrol for the official vehicle allotted to him.