E-Paper
Driver sacked for post against Haryana Deputy chief minister, HC puts state on notice
Lal, a contractual employee, had told the court that he was terminated without being given an opportunity of personal hearing and without following the principles of natural justice.
The Punjab and Haryana high court has sought a response from Haryana government on a plea challenging Hisar district administration’s decision of terminating services of a driver over a social media post allegedly against deputy chief minister Dushyant Singh Chautala.
The high court bench of justice Lisa Gill, said the state should respond by the next date of hearing, otherwise, it would consider issue of some relief to the petitioner driver, on the adjourned date of December 29. The petition was taken up on December 23 and adjourned for December 24 on state counsel’s request to get instructions. However, on Thursday the state failed to respond.
The petitioner, Panna Lal, who is a driver with sub-division officer (civil), Hansi in Hisar, was terminated from services on December 15 for posting against the deputy chief minister. As per the plea, his services were terminated after the SDO (civil) received a Whatsapp message about the alleged post made by him on December 11.
Lal, a contractual employee, had told the court that he was terminated without being given an opportunity of personal hearing and without following the principles of natural justice.
He was appointed a driver on contract basis under outsourcing policy of the government in 2018 and his services were extended from time to time. His services were appreciated by the officer and awarded appreciation certificate on January 26, the plea says.
He had told court that the posts in question against the deputy chief minister were made by someone else and not by him and that too in 2018-2019, when he was not even a deputy chief minister. He had sought from court that the termination order be set aside and till the time the petition is pending, it be stayed.
