Dispose Of Engineering College's Property For Payment Of Salary To Employees: Punjab & Haryana High Court To State

Justice Anil Kshetarpal said that, “this Court is left with no choice but to direct the Principal Secretary, Department of Technical Education and Industrial Training, Punjab, who is a member of the Board of Governors of the Institute to dispose of the property of the Institute in order to pay the amount to the petitioners within a period of one month from today, positively”.

The court was hearing a batch of writ petitions filed by employees of the institute seeking relief from the court as their salary had not been paid since December 2019. The court was informed that the Institute possess certain assets and maintains the bank accounts.

The petition said that the Institute is an autonomous body, with its Chairman and Members being nominees of the State Government.

On 11 April, the court was informed to the Court that the Institute was making efforts to dispose of its property, as per the directions of the State Government. The court had noted that the employees of the Institute have a preferential right to claim the recovery of their salary from the assets of the Institute and restrained it from disposing of its property without settling the claim of its employees.

“The interim order restraining the Institute from disposing of its property before settling the preferential claim of the petitioners, who are employees, shall continue to operate till the claim of the petitioners is settled,” the court said in the latest order.

Case Title:Ajit Singh and others v.State of Punjab and others

Counsel for Petitioner: Mr. H.C.Arora

Counsel for State: Mr. D.K.Singal

Click Here To Read/Download The Order