Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 18: Unbelievable it may sound but it is a fact that an employee of the Medical Department is being paid Rs 50 per month and his ordeal will come to an end in the coming days as High Court has directed the State to pay him minimum wages.
The petitioner Mohd Ramzan has been working as Safaiwala/Sweeper in the Medical Department for last 16 years and is being paid Rs 50 per month. As his repeated representations fell on deaf ears, the hapless employee was left with no other option but to knock the doors of the High Court seeking direction to the respondents to pay him minimum wages as guaranteed under Minimum Wages Act and regularize him in the department on substantive basis.
However, the petition was opposed by the State on the ground that petitioner is discharging his duties only for an hour in the morning and thereafter he is free to earn his livelihood during the whole day. It was insisted that rupees one and a half in the circumstances are adequate wages paid to the petitioner. The stand taken by State in opposition of the petition was controverted by Advocate OP Thakur appearing for the petitioner on the ground that the petitioner remains available in Medical Aid Centre, Chak Narwah during scheduled office hours.
After hearing Advocate OP Thakur appearing for the petitioner whereas Deputy Advocate General Neeru Goswami for the State, Justice Hasnain Massodi allowed the petition and directed the respondents to pay minimum wages to the petitioner as are being paid to daily rated workers and accord consideration to his regularisation having regard to 16 years uninterrupted service.
“The respondents shall take a decision in the matter within a period of eight weeks from the date copy of the order is served upon them”, the High Court directed.
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