Lucknow, Oct 5 The Allahabad High Court on Monday framed contempt charges against four senior Uttar Pradesh government officials for prima facie violating its 2022 order directing implementation of revised pay scales and payment of salary arrears to engineering department employees.
A Lucknow bench of Justice Saurabh Lavania said the state officials present before it had failed to place any material showing that the July 19, 2022 order had been complied with, even partially. It observed that the officers appeared prima facie unwilling to comply with the writ court's order.
The contempt proceedings relate to a batch of cases arising from the 2022 judgment in Suresh Chandra Verma vs State of Uttar Pradesh, in which the High Court had quashed orders denying the petitioners benefits under the applicable government orders.
The court had directed re-fixation of pay, payment of salary arrears and issuance of revised pension payment orders, with seven per cent simple interest if the benefits were not extended within four months.
The four officials against whom charges were framed are Deepak Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary, Finance Department; Anurag Srivastava, Principal Secretary, Namami Gange and Rural Water Supply/Minor Irrigation Department; Anil Garg, Principal Secretary, Irrigation Department; and Sorabh Babu, Principal Secretary, Rural Engineering Department.
Rejecting the state's application seeking further extension of time, the court noted that the original 2022 order had been upheld in appeal and subsequently affirmed by the Supreme Court on January 13, 2026, with the state's review petitions also dismissed, according to the order.
The bench also took note of the undertaking given by the Advocate General Ajay Kumar Mishra on May 22 seeking eight weeks to comply with the writ court's order. The High Court had thereafter directed senior officers to remain present if the order was not complied with in its true letter and spirit.
On Monday, when the matters were taken up, additional advocate general Anuj Kudesia, assisted by additional chief standing counsel Sunil Bajpai, could not place any material before that the compliance of the writ court order was made.
Irked at this, the bench framed contempt charges against the four officials and said to frame the charges against additional chief secretary PWD, Ajay Chauhan, on the next date.
The charged officials have been directed to file their responses within one week and remain present on the next date. The matter has been listed for October 13, the order stated.
