Social Welfare Director gets notice over non-compliance of commission order
The court of State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities (PwD), UT, has issued a show-cause notice to the Director, Social Welfare, UT, over non-compliance of its order.
The notice issued by Madhvi Kataria, State Commissioner for PwD, says the respondent is directed to show cause as to why proceedings should not be initiated against him for non-compliance of the order dated December 30, 2024. “The respondent is required to submit compliance report within seven days from the issue of this notice. After seven days, you shall be liable for action as per law,” stated the notice.
Seeking justice, Veena Devi, a crèche worker, had approached the court of State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities over the arbitrary and discriminate change of work position, resulting in lowering of her salary from the DC rate to a much reduced honorarium of Rs 4,650 in violation of the provisions of Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act-2016.
In her complaint, Veena Devi stated that up to March 2016, she was being paid a salary of Rs 11,803 as per the DC rates. However, from April 2016, though she was being paid the same amount up to October 31, 2023, the revised DC rates applicable annually earlier were arbitrarily stopped. And then from November 1, 2023, her salary was reduced to Rs 4,650, causing a drastic downward revision of Rs 7,153 per month.
She argued that she was also being told to go to the new creche and there was no order of any competent authority for reducing or switching her salary to a meager honorarium of Rs 4,650, which had caused her great financial hardship.
She argued that the letter for taking her consent was sent at her residence at night and she was asked to sign it and return the same to the staff there and then. She was neither made to understand the new offer, nor its implications on her wages and emoluments.
The respondent denied this and stated that Veena was actively opposing the offer of the Administration as part of the union and was well aware of the offer as well as its implications.
After hearing both parties, the court stated that the present order of the department resulting in huge financial disadvantage to a person with permanent 50% locomotor disability had been found to be gravely unsettling for a differently abled person and accentuated her vulnerability and already precarious health.
On December 30, last year, the court had directed the Director Social Welfare to pass appropriate orders protecting Veena’s pay as existed on October 31, 2023, from November 1, 2023, and herein after as per annual revised DC rates from the same date.
