Synopsis
The Supreme Court has condemned the Jammu & Kashmir administration's treatment of daily wage workers, labeling it shocking and contemptuous due to their issuance of cryptic orders that ignore legal mandates for regularisation.Key Takeaways
- Supreme Court's strong stance on worker harassment
- Condemnation of cryptic orders by authorities
- Call for weekly contempt proceedings
- Recognition of long-standing delays
- Emphasis on legal compliance
New Delhi, Mar 10 (NationPress) The Supreme Court has described the ongoing harassment of daily wage workers by the authorities in the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir as shocking and prima facie contemptuous, citing the issuance of cryptic orders that disregard the judicial directive regarding their regularisation.
Justice Surya Kant, leading a bench, remarked, “We are compelled to note that this case exemplifies the obstinacy of state officials who perceive themselves as being beyond the law's reach.”
The court expressed astonishment at the officers in Jammu & Kashmir for their 16-year delay in complying with a straightforward High Court order issued in May 2007, labeling it as both shocking and prima facie contemptuous.
“Our concern extends beyond mere decades of delay; it encompasses the undeniable reality that these daily wage workers have faced repeated harassment from the petitioners (authorities) through the issuance of cryptic orders, thereby ignoring the true intent of the order dated May 3, 2007,” stated the bench led by Justice Kant.
Nonetheless, the Supreme Court chose not to recommend severe disciplinary measures against the officials or impose significant costs on the culpable officers, given that the contempt proceedings remain active before the J&K and Ladakh High Court.
“We therefore request the learned Single Judge to address the contempt proceedings weekly and ensure that the majesty and sanctity of the law is preserved,” the apex court ordered as it dismissed the Special Leave Petition from the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir.
