E-Paper
Ludhiana: Bailiffs reach DEO’s office to attach assets
However, when the bailiffs got there, Ludhiana district education officer (elementary) Jaswinder Kaur was not present at the office and the officials said that she is on leave
Bailiffs reached district education officer (elementary) Jaswinder Kaur’s office on Monday to attach assets kept there after she failed to comply with a local court’s order to release interest to a retired driver for delay in receiving retirement benefits.
The court of civil judge, junior division (CJJD), Rajbir Kaur, had ordered that assets kept at the DEO’s office, including chairs, tables and air-conditioners be attached, as per a list submitted by the plaintiff Satinder Singh. However, when the bailiffs got there, she was not present at the office and the officials said that she is on leave.
Sanjiv Kumar, a junior assistant clerk at DEO office, pleaded that the assets not be attached and submitted a declaration assuring that the interest amount as ordered by the court will be paid by June 22.
He added that if the amount is not be paid by the aforesaid date, the assets can be attached as per the directions of the court. A senior official in the department blamed the finance department for delay in release of the funds.
The case
Satinder Singh, who was deputed as a driver with the education department, retired on October 31, 2017, but his retirement benefits were released after a six-month delay. On August 13, 2018, he filed a petition in a local court seeking interest for the delay.
The case was decided on February 14, 2020, in favour of the plaintiff and the court awarded 12% interest against the delayed payment, but it was not disbursed by the department.
Thereafter, Satinder filed for execution in the court on November 16, 2020, to implement the judgment dated February 14, 2020, through advocate SS Kang. The department filed a few objections against the execution which were dismissed by a local court on March 11, 2022. However, the department didn’t pay the interest despite repeated requests by Singh.
Ultimately, on April 19, 2022, the court ordered that the assets kept in the DEO’s office be attached.
The case had been transferred to another court due to transfer of the previous judge, causing delay in implementation of the order.
In February, a local court had attached the district education officer’s (DEO) salary for failure to pay 9% interest against delay in releasing retirement funds to a former block primary education officer, following which the finance department released the long-simmering bills.
