HC seeks details of Punjab Govt's ad expenses

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has called for Punjab Finance Secretary’s affidavit on public funds spent on advertisements, official/unofficial programmes of the ministers and elected representatives, and welfare schemes’ promotion by the current government since it came to power in March 2022.

The direction by Justice Harkesh Manuja came during the hearing of a bunch of four contempt petition filed through counsel Jaibir Singh against IAS officer Ajoy Kumar Sinha alleging non-compliance with the court’s earlier directives concerning the release of benefits.

“The respondent is directed to file an affidavit of the Finance Secretary, Punjab, about the detailed expenditure done against advertisements carried out in the print and electronic media as well as regarding the official/unofficial programmes of the ministers and elected representatives, besides the details of their spending on the advertisements of welfare schemes since the day of assuming the charge of its office by the present government i.e. March 2022,” Justice Manuja asserted.

As the matter came up for resumed hearing, the minutes of a meeting of the Cabinet subcommittee chaired by the state’s Finance Minister were placed before Justice Manuja’s Bench. Among other things, the minutes referred to significant financial obligations, including salaries, pensions and retirement benefits for the government employees.

“Analysis of a table depicting projected overview of financial outflow reveals that considerable amount of funds has to be disbursed for salary, wages and pensions and other retirement benefits of government employees and pensioners,” it read.

The Bench was also told that the committee was of the view that the earlier liquidation plan might be recommended to the Cabinet in the interest of the employees and the pensioners “with regard to the practical implementation of the same and to avoid any default in payment in future in accordance with the plan”.

Justice Manuja asserted the benefits payable to the petitioners were to be released from October-November 2021. But the process had still not been initiated, leading to apprehensions regarding default in payment in future.

“Considering the matter in totality, the respondent is directed to file an affidavit of the Finance Secretary..,” the Bench asserted, before fixing the case for December 4 for further hearing.