CHANDIGARH: Upset over the delay and non-payment of allowances to Justice Iqbal Singh, who had served as commissioner, gurdwara elections, Haryana, the Punjab and Haryana high court has directed the Haryana government to release the amount within three weeks. The HC has also warned the state that in case the payment is not made within the given time, the secretary of the department concerned shall remain present before the HC on July 27.“In our opinion, prima facie, it does not behove of the government to treat a retired judge of the high court in this manner. It was the government which chose to appoint him as commissioner for holding free and fair elections. Hence, we call upon the state of Haryana to file an affidavit within three weeks as to the period within which all payments will be made to the petitioner,” observed a division bench comprising Justices A B Chaudhari and Kuldip Singh.The bench further held, “In case, the affidavit is not filed, the secretary concerned of the department will remain present before this court on July 27.”The HC has passed these orders after hearing the petition filed by Justice Iqbal Sigh, a retired high court judge who was appointed the commissioner in August 2014. His appointment was made after the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Act, 2014, was implemented for the management of gurdwaras in Haryana. In his plea, filed in April 2017, Justice Iqbal Singh had alleged that the government had failed to release the salary, allowances and concessions to him from the date of his joining as commissioner till date, except the period when he was serving as the chairman of the Haryana Statute Review Committee from July 24, 2015, to September 24, 2016.When the matter came up for hearing on July 5, the HC observed that being a retired judge of the high court, the petitioner was appointed as commissioner, gurdwara elections. Obviously, the government is deemed to have knowledge that the retired judge of the HC would be entitled to the payments and other facilities except pension and there can be no dispute about it, observed the bench.“The reply of the Haryana government also shows that there is no dispute about it. However, the reply is silent about other small things like payment of water, electricity, fuel, telephone and furnishing charges and salary of peons, etc. during the relevant period in which the petitioner worked as a commissioner,” the HC has observed while adjourning the matter for July 27.

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