Latest news with #Parkash
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
HC freezes one-third salary of Punjab health secretary in pension row
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has recently ordered the attachment of one-third of the salary of the Principal Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Punjab, until compliance is ensured with a prior court judgment granting pension benefits to retired Senior Lecturer Dr Parveen Parkash. Parveen Parkash, who retired from Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital, Faridkot, had initially approached the court through his advocate Abhilaksh Gaind, filing a contempt petition to address the non-implementation of a July 13, 2023, high court judgment. That judgment had directed his promotion/redesignation as Senior Lecturer, effective from August 16, 1991, with corresponding revisions to his pension and retiral benefits. Despite this order, Parkash alleged that the promised benefits remained unfulfilled. The dispute escalated during a resumed hearing on March 5, 2025, when the state counsel assured the court that arrears of pension from April 1, 2017, to June 30, 2021, along with leave encashment differences, would be released within three weeks. Relying on this undertaking, the contempt petition was withdrawn. However, the court had cautioned that failure to comply would allow the petitioner to revive the petition, with the erring officer liable to pay Rs 50,000 in costs from their personal funds. Despite this warning, the arrears were not released, and the leave encashment was erroneously calculated based on the 5th Pay Commission's pay scale, while Parkash's pension had been revised under the 6th Pay Commission. This discrepancy prompted Parkash, represented by advocates Abhilaksh Gaind and Rakesh Roy, to file an application to revive the contempt petition, citing a false statement made to the court. Parkash contended that his arrears of pension from April 1, 2017, to June 30, 2021, and the difference in leave encashment were not correctly calculated or released. He highlighted that the leave encashment was computed based on the 5th Pay Commission's pay scale of Rs 72,380, whereas his pension was revised to Rs 1,91,400 under the 6th Pay Commission effective January 1, 2025. This discrepancy, he argued, led to an underpayment of Rs 3,00,812 instead of the entitled Rs 9,88,645. Expressing serious concern over the state's conduct, Justice Harkesh Manuja remarked, 'It does not appear to be a bona fide error on the part of the non-applicant/respondent, as such the applicant-petitioner is unnecessarily compelled to approach this Court by filing the revival application.' Consequently, the court attached one-third of the Health Secretary's salary until compliance is achieved, directing the IAS Branch, Punjab Civil Secretariat, Chandigarh, to enforce the order. The matter is now adjourned to July 28, 2025, for further proceedings, with the case placed on the urgent cause list.
Indian Express
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Amid rising tensions and ‘midnight prank by youths', villagers in Tindiwala along Pakistan border begin relocating families
Following a midnight prank and the rollout of Operation Sindoor, many residents of Tindiwala, the last Indian village along the Pakistan border in Ferozepur district, have decided to move to safer locations. The village, situated on the banks of the Sutlej River, witnessed chaos after a few local youngsters allegedly burst high-intensity crackers late into the night. Parkash Singh, a resident of Tindiwala, said the entire village – which has over 700 voters – rushed out of their homes hearing the loud bursts, thinking that something serious had happened. 'Later, we found out it was just a prank. But when we saw the news on television regarding Operation Sindoor, we decided not to take any chances. I'm sending my wife and children to our relatives' house,' he said. 'They are carrying bedding, clothes, dry ration, and vegetables. We don't want to burden anyone. We live hand-to-mouth here,' Parkash said, adding, 'The parents of the pranksters appeared to be sorry for their actions.' Under Operation Sindoor, launched hours ago, India hit nine sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, targeting terrorist infrastructure there in a strike that comes a fortnight after the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people were killed. Binder Singh, another villager, said the villages on the other side of the border were already vacated. 'We don't see any activity towards that side. That is even more alarming. We have seen what happened here in 1965 and 1971 when this area was taken over by Pakistan and later returned. All our houses were looted. I have already sent 70 quintals of wheat and basic necessities with my family. I am staying back to tend to the cattle. After last night's scare, I can't risk leaving the house unattended,' Binder added. Karamjit Singh, Mitha Singh, and Ajit Singh have also sent their families away, choosing to remain behind to protect their homes and livestock. Jaila Singh shared that he shifted his family to a relative's home about 20 km away. 'Some are using boats, others are using tractor trolleys, whatever suits them,' said Parkash. 'Binder and I are using a boat to shift our families. With schools shut in border districts today, children are at home. What more indication do we need to act?' Sources revealed that many villagers in the Zero Line area along the border with Pakistan have sent their families away. The Gatti Rajoke area has around 12 villages along the Zero Line, and in each village, at least 10 households have sent some of their members to safe places. Over the past week, just a few of them had been doing this quietly, reliable sources from the villages said, adding that the atmosphere has changed now and the reaction remains to be seen. In nearby Habibke village, also situated along the Sutlej in Ferozepur district, the mood is more resigned than reactive. 'Most of us here have no place to go. If the administration sets up relief camps, I'm sure many will leave. Not everyone has relatives away from the Zero Line,' said Rajinder Singh, a resident. 'In 1971, this area went to Pakistan for a while before being returned. We don't know what lies ahead.' He added, 'We don't see much Army or BSF movement. It is all very normal here, so we feel safe on the surface, but anxiety is high. We have nothing to lose, so we are staying put for now.' Even villages along the Zero Line in Fazilka district have started following suit. There are nearly 50 such villages directly along the border, and the movement of people shifting valuables began soon after India's midnight strike under Operation Sindoor, said Paramjit Singh, a resident of Pacca Chisti village in Fazilka. 'I'm shifting my agricultural implements, car, valuables, gold, and cash to another house I own in Fazilka, which is about 10 km from our village. Women and children will move later this evening if the situation demands,' he said. Paramjit added, 'Even Fazilka does not feel completely safe, so some of our belongings will be sent to a relative's place in Abohar. We are taking whatever precautions we can.'
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
NYC tenants battle former ‘worst landlord' for repairs years after suing
JAMAICA, Queens (PIX11) — Queens tenants are still fighting for working elevators nearly two years after suing their landlord, who once topped the city's worst landlords list, according to their lawyer. Enrique Standard, a tenant who walks with a cane, has missed doctor appointments and events with his children because he can't use the elevator, he said. An 82-year-old woman was recently stuck in an elevator and rescued by the FDNY, according to Queens Legal Services NYC. More Local News It's the latest in a years-long battle between the Queens tenants and their landlord, Ved Parkash, who topped the Public Advocate's worst landlords list in 2015. Parkash has faced dozens of other tenant lawsuits, according to The Real Deal. 'We can no longer keep sitting by and watch all these things happen in our homes. We deserve better. We pay our rent,' said Yolanda, a tenant displaced after a massive fire in a Bronx building owned by Parkash. In a written statement, a spokesperson for Parkash Management told PIX11 News the company has already made many repairs at the Queens property. 'All issues in the complaint filed last year have been remedied by the company, with the exception of a single outstanding matter. Since this continues to be active litigation, we cannot comment on the details involving this unresolved issue,' the spokesperson said in a written statement. More: Latest News from Around the Tri-State Tenants are demanding that both elevators be replaced — and they're prepared to keep fighting if not, according to James Tenenbaum, a staff attorney with the Tenants Rights Coalition. The Department of Buildings has issued over 20 elevator-related violations at the building since 2020, most of which were resolved, buildings records show. 'If we have an agreement on May 1 to replace both of the elevators, we and our clients are comfortable settling this case,' Tenenbaum said. 'If we do not have an agreement to replace both of the elevators… then we're going to be moving forward with our contempt hearings and we're going to be asking for the maximum penalties that we can get against Parkash.' The elevators have become the focal point, but other issues persist, Tenenbaum said. The Queens tenants initiated a rent strike in January, and are calling for a rent reduction until conditions improve. The building currently has 111 open violations with the Housing Preservation & Development department for issues ranging from mold to roaches to missing carbon monoxide detectors. 'These issues, Parkash does go and address them. We are not contesting that Parkash has tried to make repairs and has made repairs in some common areas and some apartments,' Tenenbaum said. 'They're not quality and they're not sustainable repairs and so even though tenants get some repairs, those issues often times return.' For the tenants, it's about safety, especially after the fire at Parkash's Bronx building injured seven people and displaced over 150, according to authorities. 'We're worried about the same thing happening here,' Tenenbaum said. Emily Rahhal is a digital reporter who has covered New York City since 2023 after reporting in Los Angeles for years. She joined PIX11 in 2024. See more of her work here and follow her on Twitter here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
