High court slaps ₹20,000 penalty on state govt for wasting its time

KAPURTHALA: The Punjab and Haryana High Court has imposed a penalty of ₹20,000 on the state government for wasting its time in an appeal filed by the latter against the order of a Lok Adalat.

The government had challenged an order of the Kapurthala Permanent Lok Adalat (PLA) issued in June wherein Lok Adalat's former chairperson Manju Rana had imposed a fine of ₹10,000 on health minister Brahm Mohindra; principal secretary, health, Satish Chandra; director, health services, Dr Jaspal Kaur; and Kapurthala deputy commissioner Mohhamad Tayyab for not appearing in the court despite repeated summons issued to them in the past few months.

The chairperson had summoned minister and other officials in a case filed by Suket Gupta, president, Human Rights Press Club, alleging harassment of patients and doctors due to lack of infrastructure at Kapurthala civil hospital. The state government, however, on July 18 filed in written to take back the appeal after agreeing to pay the fine imposed by the Lok Adalat.

The HC, while withdrawing the petition, imposed a fine of ₹20,000 and directed the government to pay all the amount to Punjab Legal Service Authority within two months.

“This petition is permitted to be dismissed as withdrawn on the request of AAG, Punjab, Jasleen Sidhu, but the further costs of ₹20,000 in addition to the cost imposed by PLA for wasting time of this court,” the court order reads which was issued last month.

The copy of the orders was sent to the Lok Adalat on July 30, which was received by PLA on Friday, said petitioner Gupta.

He said in this case, the then chairperson ran a had on november 3,2017 summoned health minister and officers, besides Kapurthala than Civil Surgeon Dr HS Kahlon.

But health director Dr Rajiv Bhalla appeared in the court on behalf of the government and the minister.

He had assured the court of speedy recruitment of specialists in the hospital under the National Health Mission (NHM).

He also gave an undertaking to fill vacant posts of staff nurses besides other promises to uplift the healthcare services.

PUNJAB GOVT HAD CHALLENGED A LOK ADALAT’S ORDER WHEREIN A FINE OF ₹10,000 WAS IMPOSED ON HEALTH MINISTER AND OTHERS