Udupi: Women who worked for Rs 15 a month get justice after four decades

Bellevision Media Network

 

Udupi, 18 Jul 2014: With the Supreme Court rapping the Karnataka government for not regularizing the services of two women, who had served for a measly salary of Rs 15 for 42 years in Government Women Teachers’ Training Institute, the state government issued a Government Order on July 8, regularizing their services.

 

The order not only regularized the services of the two women, Akku and Leela, from the dates they joined the services in 1971, the order also stated to provide all monetary and pensionary benefits till their superannuation.

 

It is worth noting here Apex Court in January 2010 had directed Karnataka Government to regularize the services of Akku and Leela. Human Rights Protection Foundation, Udupi, has endeavored to create a public opinion questioning the adamancy of the Government for not obeying the Supreme Court orders even after four years.

 

Ravindranath Shanbhag, president of the foundation said: The Ministers and officials of Department of Education did not move an inch to the orders of different Courts and wasted time evading responsibility under the pretext of moving the higher courts. A petition for contempt of court was filed in the Supreme Court for the same in the month of June. Since giving a time limit until September and October was of no avail, the Supreme Court had given an ultimatum. The State Government, after coming to a conclusion that it can never evade payments in this case, had opted for an initial payment of Rs 2.11 lakh December last and Rs 3.68 lakh in January 2014.

 

On July 4, the Supreme Court issued a final warning giving one week’s time to comply with its order. Accordingly, State Government has issued the order on July 8 to this effect.

 

The Background: Akku and Leela put in about four decades of service, as temporarily appointed cleaners, at the Government Women Teachers’ Training Institute on a monthly salary of Rs. 15 before retiring in 2011. Their umpteen requests for making their job permanent and paying their complete salary went in vain.

 

Despite the clear orders from the Government to make all the temporary employees who served for over a period of 10 years prior to 1984, permanent, Akku - Leela’s pleas were disregarded.

 

In 1998 when Akku - Leela complained to the Administrative Tribunal of Karnataka, under the guidance of Human Rights Protection Foundation, Udupi, the Department of Education terminated them from service. But Akku- Leela continued to serve without any salary. The court’s verdict in 2003 was in favour of Akku -Leela, ordering for their jobs to be made permanent and their well deserved salaries due from 1971 to be paid.

 

Karnataka Government questioned these orders and moved The High Court, which in-turn overruled the argument gave clear orders in 2004, seconding the verdict of the Administrative Tribunal. The Karnataka Government dragged the matter to Supreme Court and faced the same fate. In January 2010, it was ordered by the Supreme Court to make the posts of Akku-Leela permanent and pay their salaries due since 1971.

 

Future Steps: Shanbhag said : We will monitor the implementation of the Government order till the last rupee is paid. It has decided to help the Government employees in similar cases. Already the Foundation has received 78 such cases from all over Karnataka. Padma, 65, from Government Training School of Balmatta, Mangalore and Elizabeth, 68 yrs, who has been working in Fisheries High School, Malpe, having served for 42 and 45 years respectively have already approached the Education Department to apply the same principle in their cases.