Chandigarh, Oct. 22 -- The Punjab and Haryana high court has summoned the Punjab chief secretary over a 25-year delay in deciding retirees' pensionary benefits.

The bench of justice Sandeep Moudgil was hearing a clutch of petitions by around 50 petitioners demanding recomputation and enhancement of the commuted value of their pensions.

The petitions were filed in 2001 by the employees of different departments. The petitions are now being taken up as part of a special exercise to dispose of long-pending cases. Since 2001, the government has even failed to file its response.

In July, the court imposed a cost of Rs.1 lakh, to be recovered from the personal salaries of some officials of the public health department. However, on August 28, ...