HC slaps ₹1L fine on Haryana for passing buck on pension to 1965 war widow

The petitioner, Suraj Kaur, is the widow of constable Man Singh, who had laid his life in an encounter with Pakistani paratroopers in 1965, in Bathinda.

The Punjab and Haryana high court has slapped a ₹1 lakh fine on Haryana government for passing the buck on grant of extraordinary pension to an 82-year-old woman, who is the widow of a 1965 war veteran.

The court fined Haryana with ₹1 lakh, to be paid to the petitioner woman, and posted the matter for April 11.

It had come before the court through an affidavit filed by accountant general (A&E), Punjab, that a meeting was held with their counterparts in Haryana and it has been decided that the pension to the widow would be borne by the latter.

The court was also told that she was granted family pension from November 1, 1966, by the erstwhile Punjab state of which Haryana was a part.

Later, the same was granted through superintendent of police, Narnaul, Mahendergarh, and her pension case file was also in possession of the office of the AG, Haryana. An October 22, 2021, communication between both the states suggested that the file was with AG Haryana and has been furnished by office of SP, Narnaul, the court was told.

On the other hand, AG Haryana submitted that the revised family pension is to be paid by the administrative department, Haryana, and till date, the actual payment along with interest since 1986, has not been made.

The court fined Haryana with ₹1 lakh, to be paid to the petitioner woman, and posted the matter for April 11, asking Principal Accountant General (A&E), Haryana, to file a compliance report regarding disbursement of the arrears of pension as well as payment to the widow.

The petitioner, Suraj Kaur, is the widow of constable Man Singh, who, while in the erstwhile Punjab, had laid his life in an encounter with Pakistani paratroopers on September 12, 1965, in Bathinda. The woman lives in Narnaul city of Mahendergarh district and is getting a family pension. However, in March 2022, the woman filed a plea in the HC, seeking direction to settle her case of extraordinary family pension as per the instructions issued in September 1998. The plea was disposed of on March 24, 2022 with a direction to the director general of police, Punjab, to decide her case and in case she was found entitled for any benefit, the same should be released within a period of six weeks. As the matter remained pending, she filed a contempt plea in September 2022, as per her lawyer, Vivek K Thakur. However, during these proceedings a dispute arose between the two states, regarding the liability to pay the pension. Punjab had said that relevant record was not available. Hence, her representation cannot be decided.

The Haryana police had reported that her pension was last revised by Punjab in 2009 and is being paid by Punjab government. In view of the divergent stand taken by both states, on the last date of hearing, the court had asked them to hold a joint meeting and made it clear that whosoever is found passing the buck would be liable to pay ₹1 lakh fine, which now Haryana has to pay alongwith arrears and interest.