Akku-Leela case: State fails to honour SC ruling; releases just 5 yrs wage arrears

Akku-Leela case: State fails to honour SC ruling; releases just 5 yrs wage arrears

Mangalore Today News Network

 Udupi, Dec 10, 2013 : The state government is now facing punishment in a contempt of court  case after failing to adhere to the Supreme Court ruling   in  the  Akku –Leela case even after four years of ruling.

The two women  had worked for a meagre Rs 15 wages for  42 years.   Ravindranath Shanbagh, President of the  Human Rights Protection Foundation has alleged that in order to avoid punishment  the  officials were  now planning to offer to the two women their  due wages for five years instead of the arrears  of 42 years.

He was speaking to reporters at the Vaikunta Baliga Law College here on December 9, Monday.

 
The case : Akku of Kinnimulki and Leela of Chitpady had joined work at the Government  Girls’ Training School of Udupi run by the Education Department in 1971 on a temporary basis for a paltry Rs 15 basic pay. Their appeal to regularise their service went unheeded  and even the government directive to regularise the services of all temporary workers who have served for over ten years prior to 1984 was violated.

The two aggrieved women had moved the Karnataka Administrative Tribunal in 1998 following which the Education Department suspended them from service.  However, the two continued to serve the institution for no wages. They retired in 2011. In the meantime , the KAT  in 2003 regularised their service and directed that the  wage arrears  with retrospective effect from 1971 be paid to them. The state government moved the High court challenging this order. The HC which dismissed the appeal directed to adhere to the KAT ruling.

The Government had then moved the Supreme Court where too it had to face a setback. The SC in its ruling in January 2010 regularised the services of Akku and Leela and directed that they be paid they full wages with retrospective effect from 1971.

Contempt of Court case: The Human Rights Protection Foundation of Udupi filed a Contempt of Court case against the government in the Supreme  Court last June after the state government failed to adhere to the Court ruling even after four years.

The Supreme Court has now issued a final warning to the Government. On realising that the Education Department Secretary and officials concerned may have to face arrest at any time,  NP Patagar, Secretary of the Education Department, has directed that Akku and Leela be  paid  Rs 2,21,296  and Rs 2,21,396 respectively on the basis of their basic pay for the period between 1998 and 2003. Shanbagh says that the  Foundation will draw the attention of the Supreme Court towards the fact that the state government has  not shown any interest to pay the arrears of Rs 27 lakhs to the two women.

 
The Foundation also has information that there are over 750 workers in the state like Akku and Leela who have been working for a basic pay of a meagre Rs 15 since 42 years. Of them are Padma and Elizabeth who are working in Malpe Government PU College, says  Dr Ravindranath Shanbagh.

‘My husband is ill and is at home. Of my two sons, one is a painter and another a pigmy collector.  Of the three daughters, one is married.  I do not want anything more than my due wages,” says Akku.

Leela on the other hand says so “ My husband who was s sweeper in Manipal is now retired and is  working s a coolie.  My life is difficult with my three daughters. If I get my due wages, it will help my family.”