The Jharkhand High Court on Friday stayed the disbursement of salary to state transport secretary Kamal Kishore Soan for non-compliance of its earlier directive to release retiral benefits of fourth grade transport deparment employees.

Soan who was present in the court had to face the wrath of the high court, which observed that an employee earns retiral benefits after putting in years of relentless service and it is a matter of right that their dues be honoured by the state.

The court also observed that payment of retiral dues is not charity or bounty of the state government.

Justice S N Pathak hearing a contempt application was peeved with the transport department for not complying with the court order to it to pay the retiral benefits to the petitioners who are superannuated employees of the transport department.

A total 17 persons who were fourth grade employees of the department had approached the court for release of their retiral benefits which were withheld by it.

Arguing for the department, Additional Advocate General Sachin Kumar said that the money for payment to the petitioners is ready but could not be disbursed in the absence of their proper addresses.

The court had earlier directed the department to release the payment of the benefits saying it is a rightful due of the petitioners.

The department, however, did not comply with the orders of the court and even after a lapse of three years.

The petitoners then moved the high court again for payment of their dues in a contempt application.

Soan who had appeared in the case earlier and had assured the court that payments and pension benefits due to the petitioners has been chalked out and will be released soon.

As no action was taken to ensure the release of the payments it irked the court.

The HC while ordering to withhold disbursement of salary to Soan ordered him to formulate a scheme to ensure payment to the retired employees.

The matter was posted for hearing on September 30.