PRESS CLUB Vs. STATE OF PUNJAB

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Prayer made in the present petition is for seeking quashing of letter dtd. 11/7/2007 (Annexure P-4) vide which the respondent No.4 has illegally transferred the amount of Rs.25.00 lakhs from the original Saving Bank Account No.65007473885 of Press Club, Patiala to Current Account No.65022827318 (Building Account of Press Club) against the mandate of letter dtd. 11/5/2007.

(2.) Learned counsel appearing for the petitioner contends that erstwhile Chief Minister had announced a grant of Rs.50.00 lakhs for setting up/renovation of club vide letter No.D.O.1499/LBA/MA out of which an amount of Rs.25.00 lakhs was meant for renovation of the Press Club, Patiala. The said amount was sanctioned for development works vide order dtd. 26/5/2006 and a direction in this regard was issued vide Memo No.111 dtd. 11/5/2007. The said amount was also deposited in the Fixed Deposit with a maturity date of 9/4/2008 and the original of the said FDR is in possession of the petitioner Press Club. It is contended that vide letter No.40 to 44 dtd. 11/7/2007, the respondent-State Bank of Patiala, had transferred the above said amount to the current account mentioned above notwithstanding that no such instructions had been given by the petitioner Press Club, for whom the grant had been released.

(3.) A reply by way of affidavit of Varun Roojam, IAS, Deputy Commissioner, Patiala, on behalf of respondents No.1 to 3 dtd. 11/3/2015 has been filed wherein the above said factual aspect was not disputed, however, it is submitted that the amount in question was released on a condition that the same shall be utilized within a period of 03 months from the date of its release from the treasury, as per the terms and conditions contained in the letter of grant.