The Himachal Pradesh High Court has pulled up the director of the Animal Husbandry Department for rejecting an employee’s pension claim despite counting his regular and eligible daily-wage service, observing that the senior official had “not at all gone through” the Supreme Court rulings governing his case. The court also imposed Rs 10,000 in costs after the state sought more time to reconsider the claim.

Justice Jyotsna Rewal Dua was hearing an execution petition filed by Puran Dass over the state’s failure to comply with a judgment dated November 11, 2024. The court recorded that the department had issued a fresh consideration order recognising Dass’s entitlement to pension from the due date.

“Petitioner’s case for grant of pension has been turned down on the ground that he does not possess 10 years of requisite service as required under the CCS (Pension) Rules 1972. Apparently, while issuing the consideration order, respondent No.…