Tarun Karthick
Port Blair, 15 May 2023
CITU-affiliated Andaman Sarvajanik Nirman Vibhag Mazdoor Sangh (ASNVMS) has demanded to grant 1/30th of pay plus DA benefits to the DRMs from 22nd September 2017, as ordered by the Calcutta High Court at Calcutta. In a letter sent to the Lt Governor, A & N Islands, BC Bhattacharjee, Vice President, ASNVMS drew the attention of the Lt Governor to the order bearing No. 1283 dated 9th May 2023, issued by the Andaman & Nicobar Administration granting 1/30th of pay plus DA to the remaining daily rated mazdoors working in APWD and other departments under the A & N Administration. He said that this order was issued to implement the judgement and order dated 19th December 2022, of the Division Bench of the Hon’ble Calcutta High Court in the matter of Hon’ble Lt. Governor-vs-ASNVMS (MA/09/2020).
ASNVMS told the Lt Governor that the Division Bench while disposing of the Appeal filed by the Appellant i.e. Govt. of India/A & N Administartion against the judgement dated 13th December, 2019 of the single judge of Hon’ble Calcutta High Court, had directed the Appellants to grant the financial benefit of 1/30th of pay plus DA at the relevant scale of pay to all the daily rated mazdoors working under the A & N Administration within 2 months with effect from 22nd September, 2017, the date on which the Administration had issued an OM bearing No. 289 to extend the 1/30th of pay plus benefits to DRMs with certain conditions.
The ASNVNS told the Lt Governor that after a period of nearly five months from the date of judgement of the Division Bench, the Administration has issued the order No. 1283 dated 9th May 2023, extending the 1/30th of pay plus DA to all DRMs with effect from the date of issue of the said order (9th May, 2023). In this order, the Administration has unnecessarily imposed a condition of obtaining an undertaking from each of the DRMs. Terming these conditions are unwarranted and violation of the judgement of the Hon’ble High Court (Division Bench), CITU affiliated Union told to the Lt. Governor that the workers are eligible for the said benefit from 22nd September 2017, as per the judgement of the Division Bench.
CITU-affiliated Union told the Lt Governor that the said benefit has been achieved by the workers after conducting a long period of agitation and court cases spanning over a period of 3 decades. In fact, the workers are eligible for the 1/30th of pay plus DA from 1988 or from the date of initial appointment as the case may be as per the Govt. of India’s order of 1988.