Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 26

A Lieutenant Colonel in the Army has moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court alleging failure on the part of bureaucrats in the Ministry of Defence to implement orders of the Defence Minister to rationalise the system of granting maintenance allowance to estranged wives of serving personnel.Stating that he had been issued orders to give maintenance allowance to his wife through a non-speaking order, the officer has contended that despite the lapse of six months, MoD officials had failed to give effect to directions of the Defence Minister, thereby, not only jeopardising his rights and property but also undermining the authority of the highest political executive.Under provisions of the Army Act, penal deductions from salaries can be made for paying maintenance to wives if they apply for the same. The officer has averred that the stipulation was not repealed even after inception of maintenance provisions in the Hindu Marriage Act, since the pay and allowances of defence personnel were immune from attachment by courts, thereby, necessitating an enabling provision to give effect to maintenance orders by civil courts.