Court notice to Chief Secy, PSPCL on contempt plea

Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 14

State Chief Secretary and Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd CMD Baldev Singh Sran have landed themselves in a contempt loop. The Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued notice to the two on a petition alleging contempt of court for willful disobedience of judicial order on the issue of providing free electricity to gaushalas.

The notice by Justice Nirmaljit Kaur came after the Bench was told that the respondents had made themselves liable for punishment in accordance with law for not complying with the previous order directing their high-level committee to examine in a time-bound manner whether the state could discontinue with its scheme for providing free electricity to gaushalas, while collecting cow cess from the citizens.

The petitioner, Shri Gow Rakshini Sabha through counsel Nitin Thatai and SC Thatai asserted that a detailed representation was sent to the office of both the respondents in pursuance to the court order. But decision in the matter was pending. The facts and circumstances made it abundantly clear that the act, conduct and illegal actions were intentional and amounted to willful disobedience.

The disconnection of a scheme launched by the previous Akali-BJP government for providing free power to cow shelters had generated political controversy. The Opposition had only recently attacked the government for accumulating nearly Rs 50 crore from cow cess, but discontinuing free power initiated by the previous government.

Disposing of a bunch of petitions on the issue, Justice Rajan Gupta had directed committee comprising Chief Secretary and PSPCL chairman to look into the matter before taking appropriate decision.