E-Paper
Punjab and Haryana high court summons PSPCL chairman
The Punjab and Haryana high court directed the PSPCL chairman to explain as to why the appellate authority is repeatedly deciding appeals by non-speaking orders burdening the court with “avoidable litigation”
The Punjab and Haryana high court has summoned chairman and managing director, Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) for September 1 over non-speaking orders being passed in the cases of disputes between the corporation and employees.
“This court had noticed that there are several other matters as well wherein the employees have approached this Court alleging that the appellate authority had passed non-speaking orders,” the bench of justice Anupinder Singh Grewal observed directing the chairman to be present in Court on September 1 to explain as to why the appellate authority is repeatedly deciding appeals by non-speaking orders burdening the high court with “avoidable litigation”.
The court was dealing with the plea of one Rajinder Kumar who in the August 4 petition had argued that the punishing authority had imposed the punishment of stoppage of four increments without cumulative effect on the petitioner. He appealed against the same, which had been decided by a non-speaking order.
In 2021, the petitioner had approached court in the same dispute in which court had directed that his plea be reconsidered and a fresh order be passed with a personal hearing to him.
The court was informed that personal hearing was granted by two directors but the appellate authority has once again dismissed his appeal without assigning any reasons.
The court observed that a perusal of the order passed indicated that it is non-speaking order. Although it mentions that it has taken into account the reply, charge-sheet and other material but there is no reference to the nature of allegations against the petitioner or to the issues raised by the petitioner in his appeal, the bench observed adding that there are several other cases in which employees have been alleging that nonspeaking orders have been passed.
