Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Feb 17: High Court expressed serious concern over non implementation of its judgment on release of Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) to State Road Transport Corporation (SRTC) employees and warned the Financial Commissioner (FC) Finance Department of contempt proceedings against him in case the basic judgment is not implemented by or before next date of hearing.
Justice Wasim Sadiq Nargal pulled up the counsel appearing for the Finance Department for not complying with the directions of the court whereby the authorities were in 2020 directed to provide specifically such an amount as would be calculated by the Corporation representing arrears of COLA and leave salary minus that which has already been paid to such members of the Association who are entitled to the same.
All J&K SRTC Union filed the contempt proceedings against the Financial Commissioner and others alleging therein that the authorities have not implemented the judgment of the court till date.
Today when the contempt petition was taken up for further consideration, the Special Secretary to Government, Finance Department and Deputy Legal Remembrancer were present in person before the bench but on previous date of hearing it was made clear that if the compliance of judgment is not done then the Commissioner Secretary Finance shall appear in person before the court.
Advocate Hakim Suhail Ishtiaq representing aggrieved employees submitted that despite the presence of these two officials neither the Judgment has been complied with nor the Financial Commissioner to Government is present in the court as directed which depicts the approach of concerned authorities towards the redressal of 20 year old claim of these employees.
However, his counsel submitted before the court that he has already filed an application seeking his exemption for personal hearing for today’s hearing on the ground that recently he has been given additional charge of Secretary to Home Department and also keeping in view the visit of Prime Minster to Jammu and Kashmir to be scheduled on 20th February he could not be present before the court.
“In the light of assurance extended by Sajad Ashraf, the proceedings in the instant contempt petition are deferred till next date of hearing”, Justice Nargal recorded.
Court, however, has made it clear that in case the judgment is not implemented in its letter and spirit by or before the next date of hearing, the Financial Commissioner shall appear in person on the next date and in that eventuality this court shall be constrained to frame Rule as he is in prima facie contempt for having flouted the directions passed by this Court.
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