Calcutta HC Port Blair bench fines Lt Guv of Andamans, suspends chief secretary for non-compliance of earlier order

Port Blair, August 4

In a significant development, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Chief Secretary Keshav Chandra was suspended while Lieutenant Governor DK Joshi was fined Rs 5 lakh for not complying with an earlier order by the Port Blair bench of the Calcutta High Court on releasing benefits to workers.

The earlier order passed on December 19 last year had awarded higher pay and DA to nearly 4,000 Daily Rated Mazdoors (DRMs) employed by the island administration.

Speaking to PTI, Advocate Gopala Binnu Kumar, who appeared on behalf of the Andaman Sarvajanik Nirman Vibhag Mazdoor Sangh, welcomed the court’s decision.

“The administration headed by the chief secretary and the lieutenant governor were found guilty by the court for non-compliance of its order to release the benefit of 1/30th pay plus dearness allowances for DRMs, which is pending since 2017,” he said.

While elaborating about the case, he said, “There are nearly 4,000 DRMs who didn’t get benefits, in Andaman and Nicobar Islands and as per a Supreme Court order in 1986, the DRMs discharging their duties on a par with regular employees are entitled for the financial benefit of 1/30th pay plus dearness allowances.

“However, on September 22, 2017, the local administration here issued a memorandum stating that one-time wages will be given to DRMs and they have selectively chosen the beneficiaries. The matter was challenged by us in the court after the administration again issued a memorandum stating that left-out DRMs will get their wages from May 9, 2023, onwards and not from 2017 as instructed by the court.”