Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (HB)
With Inputs from Media Release
Udupi, Jul 18: The Supreme Court has disposed the contempt petition in Akku-Leela case after observing the action taken by the Karnataka state government on regularization of services rendered by Akku and Leela, who had served for 42 years at the Government Women Teachers’ Training Institute, Udupi for a monthly salary of Rs 15 from 1971.
Akku was employed as a sweeper at the institute in 1971 after the death of her mother. Leela who also joined as a sweeper the same year in her grandmother’s place is now bedridden. The state government, after coming to a conclusion that it can never evade payments in such cases, had opted for an initial payment of Rs 2.11 lac during last December and Rs 3.68 lac in January 2014. As per the Supreme Court verdict, if the government released the money immediately, it would be a help for the family.
On July 4, the Supreme Court issued a final warning to comply with its order. Accordingly, the state government issued an order recently to regularise their services from the dates they joined the Institute, till the day they retired, and to pay all the pending monetary and pension benefits due to them.
Udupi-based Human Rights Protection Foundation (HRPF) president Ravindranath Shanbhag, who has been fighting for their cause, said, "Although the Supreme Court, the Karnataka High Court and the Karnataka Administrative Tribunal (KAT) gave a verdict in favour of the two women and directed the government to regularize their services."
He said his Foundation has received 75 such cases from all over Karnataka. The organization has strived a lot for seeking justice and eventually got success.
"Padma (65) and Elizabeth (68), having served for 42 and 45 years respectively have already approached the education department to apply the same principle in their cases," Shanbhag concluded.
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