Dehradun : In the perhaps first ever order of its kind, which will perhaps make the high profile bureaucracy of Uttarakhand that lives in a world of its own see things in the lay man’s eyes, the Uttarakhand High Court directed that principal secretary (urban development), Ranvir Singh be placed under suspension.
The order passed by a single bench comprising senior justice Tarun Aggarwal on a petition filed by one Devender Joshi, a resident of Nainital. The orders were passed on contempt of the High Court and not giving retirement benefits to the petitioner, a junior engineer.
The petitioner had in his petition claimed that he had voluntarily taken retirement from his post of junior engineer in the Nainital Municipal Corporation in 2007, but till date he had not received the retirement benefits including the pension that was due to him.
It said that in January last year while hearing the case the high Court had in its interim order directed all dues pending to the claimant be given to the petitioner immediately and that the principal secretary (urban development) file an affidavit to effect on December 28.
However, the petitioner claimed that neither had the principal secretary (urban development) filed an affidavit as directed nor had he been given the retirement benefits including pension. On this the principal secretary was directed that he be present in person in the court.
But even these directives of the court of being personally present were ignored by the principal secretary (urban development), on which the single bench of the Uttarakhand High Court directed the chief minister to suspend principal secretary (urban development) Ranvir Singh.
A journalist with over 40 years of experience, Jagdish Bhatt was Editor, Hill Post (Uttarakhand).
Jagdish had worked with India’s leading English dailies, which include Times of India, Indian Express, Pioneer and several other reputed publications. A highly acclaimed journalist, he was a recipient of many awards
Jagdish Bhatt, aged 72, breathed his last on 28th August 2021 at his Dehradun residence.
U.K is setting examples across the board, be it the judiciary this time or the legislative in the case of Lokpal or the inflow of industries despite all odds. It’s time for HP to learn a lesson or two or be prepared to hand over the baton of “The best state” to Uttarakhand.