PHHC Summons Chief Secretary, Imposes Fine; Panjab Expands Rural Bus Network

November

2026

The Punjab and Haryana High Court (PHHC) imposed a fine of USD 1,054 on Panjab Chief Secretary KAP Sinha and summoned him for hearing on 3 Nov over the state government’s non-compliance with the court order on release of Dearness Allowance to employees and pensioners. Sinha is also facing criminal contempt in the same matter for making a ‘false statement’ over listing of the state’s appeal in the apex court. PHHC has also directed Sinha to file an affidavit on the financial position and proposed borrowings of the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL). The directions came in response to a Public Interest Litigation filed by Jaskirat Singh and others seeking complete records relating to the ‘₹10,000 crore (USD 1.05B) loan being raised by the PSPCL’. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann flagged off 100 new 29-seater mini buses for the PEPSU Roadways Transport Corporation in Patiala on 26 Oct. He said the buses would connect villages and small towns with cities, improving access to education, employment, markets, and essential services. The Corporation has distributed the buses among nine depots. Additionally, the Panjab government has registered around 7.9M women beneficiaries under the Mukh Mantri Mawan Dheeyan Satkar Yojana (welfare scheme for women) and released financial assistance amounting to USD 393M so far. Furthermore, Municipal Corporation Patiala has started the process to allot shops to tenants under the recently launched Meri Dukan Mere Naam (my shop in my name) scheme for shopkeepers running a business from a rented property owned by Urban Local Bodies (ULB) measuring up to 50 sq yards. Shopkeepers can own shops by paying prescribed charges. The scheme is available across 116 ULBs in Panjab. Concurrently, the Federation of Industrial and Commercial Organisation (FICO) has urged CM Mann to ensure the early release of pending Goods and Services Tax and Value Added Tax refunds, adding that prolonged delays are squeezing working capital for micro, small, and medium enterprises. FICO said delayed refund disbursements are blocking essential capital and making it difficult for businesses to sustain day-to-day activities. FICO called for an urgent, time-bound mechanism to process outstanding claims and clear eligible dues. They highlighted that several manufacturing units have been awaiting their legitimate dues for years (earlier coverage).