Chandigarh, March 22 -- The Punjab and Haryana high court on Friday granted a final opportunity to the central government and accountant general (accounts & entitlements), Chandigarh to comply with the law laid down by the Supreme Court regarding pension fixation of HC judges. The law was restated by the HC in its August 2025 order while disposing off a petition by retired HC Judge Ritu Tagore. The HC was hearing a contempt petition filed by Justice (retd) Tagore, arising out of non-compliance with the August 2025 order concerning fixation of her pension. She retired on September 28, 2024. During the hearing, counsel appearing for central government and accountant general (A&E), Chandigarh sought additional time to file compliance affidavits detailing steps taken to implement HCs August 6, 2025 order. Justice Sudeepti Sharma of HC allowed the request but made it clear that this would be the final opportunity.The HC warned that failure to file the compliance affidavits within the stipulated time would result in the imposition of costs of Rs.2 lakh to be paid to the petitioner. The matter has been adjourned to April 9, 2026, with directions to be listed in the urgent category. Counsels for the petitioner, Sandeep Jain and Sachin Jain said the petitioner, a retired HC judge, had petitioned the HC seeking proper fixation of her retiral pension under the High Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Act, 1954. Her grievance was that her pension had not been calculated by treating her as a HC judge for the full period of her service, including her earlier service in the district judiciary from 1992 onwards. The HC on August 6, 2025, had disposed of her plea by issuing a writ of mandamus directing the Union of India and other authorities to comply with the law laid down by the Supreme Court in a 2025 judgment relating to pension fixation of HC judges. That apex court had clarified that all retired HC judges were entitled to full pension on a one rank, one pension principle, regardless of whether they were elevated from the bar or from the district judiciary, and irrespective of length or breaks in service. It also directed payment of arrears with interest. Another counsel appearing for the petitioner, Molly Tagore said the HC specifically ordered that these directions be implemented within a stipulated period by November 19, 2025. "However, the respondents failed to comply with these directions within time. Despite some internal correspondence between authorities-such as communications between the HC registry, accountant general, and the Union government-no actual compliance in terms of release of revised pension and arrears was made,'' the counsel said. The petitioner further stated that even after issuing a formal notice in January 2026 seeking compliance, the authorities merely continued inter-departmental communication and did not take concrete steps to implement the court's order. This, according to her, amounts to deliberate and wilful disobedience of the HC's judgment....