Calcutta High Court: The state’s advocates were left speechless in the division bench of the Calcutta High Court. In a case concerning the state’s pending bills, the division bench, led by Justice Debangsu Basak, has warned of taking extreme measures against the West Bengal government. The court commented that it might order the seizure of the state’s account with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for not allocating funds for the developmental work of the courts. In connection with this matter, the Chief Secretary and Finance Secretary have also been ordered to appear in person at the next hearing.
Why This Stern Warning from the Court?
The case was filed questioning why the state government was not allocating funds for various developmental projects within the judiciary. It has been revealed that work on 36 projects has been stalled due to non-payment of dues for the last three years. Even a BSNL bill amounting to over ₹5 crore has not been cleared. Regarding this, Justice Basak remarked to the state’s counsel, “You have lied in the very first line. Is the state under a financial emergency?”
During the hearing on Monday, the court severely criticised the state, pointing out:
- Three-Year Pending Bill: A period of three years is more than enough time to clear a bill. Who will be responsible if BSNL discontinues its services due to non-payment?
- Employee Salaries: The court questioned whether the state is paying its employees properly. Does allocating funds to the High Court not fall under administrative work?
- Resorting to Falsehoods: The court believes that the state government is resorting to falsehoods in this matter.
Court Dissatisfied with State’s Response
An official from the state’s finance department was present during the hearing. When the judges asked for the state’s RBI account number, he stated that he did not know it. At this, the judges retorted, “We will wait. Call the Chief Secretary right now and get the account number.”
The state’s side proposed to clear half the amount within two days, citing ongoing holidays. The enraged judge replied, “A holiday today? Is the internet on holiday? Is this court on holiday?” The court rejected the state counsel’s plea to adjourn the case. The state then informed that ₹60 lakh was being released immediately and the remaining amount would be paid by October 30.
The court commented that it was “speechless” at this response. The next hearing for the case has been scheduled for November 10. It is believed that the state’s financial condition and the court’s strict stance could also impact other cases, like the Dearness Allowance (DA) case, where the state government often pleads financial distress.
