State of Punjab and Another v. Janak Raj and Others

ALKA SARIN, J. (ORAL)

1.

The present order shall dispose off the above noted Letters Patent Appeals (LPAs) challenging the order dated 09.01.2025 passed by the learned Single Bench. The operative portion of the order dated 09.01.2025 reads as under : '20. As the dispute is between the State of Punjab and Government of India and the Institution(s)/University concerned, which are yet to receive the grant under the Post Matric Scholarship Scheme, Punjab for Schedules Castes Students a direction is issued to the Chief Secretary of the State of Punjab and to the Secretary, Department of Social Justice and Empowerment of Government of India to hold a joint meeting to resolve the dispute with regard to the payment of the amount under the Post Matric Scholarship Scheme, Punjab for Schedules Castes Students within a period of one month from the date of

receipt of copy of this order. Within a further period of 08 weeks of the first meeting, the issue with regard to the payment is to be resolved pending consideration between the State of Punjab and Union of India failing which, the same will be treated as a violation of order of this Court.

¶21After resolving the issue, whatever liability of the State of Punjab as well as of the Union of India, the same will be ascertained and the liability of Union of India will be paid to the State Government and the respondent-State will further discharge its liability after receiving the due amount if any admissible to the Institution(s)/University concerned who have already raised their claim qua the expenditure incurred for imparting studies to the students under the Post Matric Scholarship Scheme, Punjab for Schedules Castes. It will be the duty of the respective Departments of the Government of India and the State of Punjab to clear the entitlement of the respective Institutions/University upto

30.06.2025 under all circumstances qua entitlement under Post Matric Scholarship Scheme, Punjab for Schedules Castes.

¶22In case any of the Institution(s) has not raised any claim before he Union of India or the State of Punjab, they will be at liberty to give their details of entitlement by filing an appropriate representation along with the necessary documents with the respective departments of the Government of Punjab as well as before the appropriate Department of Government of India within a period of three weeks from today.

¶23In case, any Institution(s), who has raised the claim for reimbursement of the amount incurred under the Post Matric Scholarship Scheme, Punjab for Schedules Castes and have not been reimbursed, they will be at liberty to

avail appropriate remedy including the initiation of contempt proceedings against the officers of Government of India as well as the Government of Punjab. The same liberty will be given to Panjab University that in case, any of the entitled amount is not reimbursed. The Panjab University will also be within its jurisdiction to raise their claim directly before the Union of India as well as the State of Punjab. The resolution of the said claims by the State/Union of India should be in writing by giving the details of the stand taken by the Union of India as well as by the Government of Punjab qua the claims raised by the respective Institution(s).'

2.

It is not in dispute that pursuant to the order dated 09.01.2025 a meeting was held on 27.02.2025 which was attended by the representatives of both the Union of India and the Government of Punjab. Minutes of the Meeting have also been appended as part of Annexure A-23 wherein the following has been noted :

¶11Based on the discussion, the Secretary, SJ&E, concluded that the demands raised by the Punjab Government were not supported by verifiable claims and are outside the extant scheme guidelines. All matters of outstanding payments were addressed in the meeting held on 16th March, 2020. The Cabinet decision of Punjab Government was taken in June 2021, and a closed issue pertaining four years ago was revived despite clear Scheme guidelines issued by Government of India in 2018. In light of the above facts and circumstances, the release of central assistance for AY 2017-18, 2018-19, and 2019-20 being sought by Punjab Government cannot be approved'.

3.

Learned State counsel appearing on behalf of the appellants-State in all the appeals, after arguing for some time, seeks permission to withdraw the present appeals with liberty to avail the remedies as available in law. Learned State counsel, however, seeks one month's time to avail the requisite remedies as available in law and prays that till such time the appellants be not held liable for any contempt proceedings in terms of the order dated

09.01.2025 passed by the learned Single Bench.

4.

In view of the above, the present appeals are dismissed as withdrawn. The appellants are granted one month's time to avail the remedies as available in law.

5.

The institution(s) would not press the contempt petition(s), if any, for a period of one month from the date of passing of this order.

6.

Pending applications, if any, also stand disposed off.

(ALKA SARIN)

JUDGE

(AMARJOT BHATTI)

10.07.2026

JUDGE Aman Jain/Yogesh/jk

NOTE: Whether speaking/non-speaking: Speaking

203-15 IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH Date of Decision : 10.07.2026 STATE OF PUNJAB AND ANR …. Appellants VERSUS JANAK RAJ AND ORS …. Respondents 203-32 LPA-3719-2025 (O&M) STATE OF PUNJAB AND ORS …. Appellants VERSUS MANAGING COMMITTEE, AKAL COLLEGE & ANR …. Respondents 203-33 LPA-3724-2025 (O&M) STATE OF PUNJAB AND ANR. …. Appellants VERSUS KHALSA COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND ORS. …. Respondents 203-47 LPA-215-2026 (O&M) STATE OF PUNJAB AND ANR …. Appellant VERSUS AJIT NURSING COLLEGE, SUNAM AND ANR …. Respondents 203-48 LPA-464-2026 (O&M) STATE OF PUNJAB AND ANR …. Appellants VERSUS VMS INSTITUTE OF NURSING AND PARAMEDICAL …. Respondent 203-49 LPA-614-2026 (O&M) STATE OF PUNJAB AND ORS …. Appellants VERSUS DIPS INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT AND TECHNOLOGY AND ORS …. Respondents 203-53 LPA-954-2026 (O&M) SECRETARY DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL JUSTICE & ORS … Appellants VERSUS GURU TEG BAHADUR KHALSA INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY AND ORS …. Respondents 203-55 LPA-624-2026 (O&M) STATE OF PUNJAB AND ORS …. Appellants VERSUS MASTER GURBANTA SINGH MEMORIAL JANTA COLLGE …. Respondent CORAM : HON'BLE MRS. JUSTICE ALKA SARIN HON'BLE MRS. JUSTICE AMARJOT BHATTI Present : Mr. Jastej Singh, Addl. AG Punjab and Ms. Mandeep Kaur, DAG Punjab for the appellants in all the appeals. Mr. Subhash Ahuja, Advocate for respondent No.17 in LPA-3451-2025. Mr. Pawan Kumar, Senior Advocate with Ms. Vidushi Kumar, Advocate for respondent No.1 in LPA-3719-2025. Mr. Ashish Kaushik, Advocate for Mr. A.P.S. Sandhu, Advocate for respondent No.1 in LPA-3724-2025. Mr. Gagneshwar Walia, Advocate for respondent No.1 in LPA-215-2026 and for respondent Nos.1 to 3 in LPA-954-2026. Mr. Puneet Sharma, Advocate for the respondent in LPA-464-2026 for respondent No.1 in LPA-215-2026 and for respondent Nos.4 and 8 in LPA-614-2026. Mr. Manish Dadwal, Advocate for respondent No.1 in LPA-624-2026. Mr. Satya Pal Jain, Additional Solicitor General of India with Ms. Gurmeet Kaur Gill, Senior Panel Counsel for respondent No.19 in LPA-3451-2025 for respondent No.2 in LPA-3719-2025 for respondent Nos.2 and 3 in LPA-3724-2025 for respondent No.2 in LPA-215-2026 for respondent No.14 in LPA-614-2026 for respondent Nos.4 to 6 in LPA-954-2026 and for respondent No.2 in LPA-624-2026.