HC issues notice to Govt respondents
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, March 30 2011:
The Gauhati High Court, Imphal Bench today issued a notice of motion, returnable within four weeks, to State and Central respondents in connection with a writ petition filed by 14 job card holders of Naoriya Pakhanglakpa Gram Panchayat for non payment of unemployment allowance.
The said petition is the first of its kind in Manipur, said a press release issued by Human Rights Law Network (HRLN) .
In the present case, the job card holders submitted their application to the authority on April 18 last year pleading to provide employment under MGNREGS.
However, they were not provided employment within the stipulated time and as such they approached the Panchayat Secretary of Naoriya Pakhanglakpa GP on July 15, the same year.
Thereafter, the job card holders have been awaiting for unemployment allowance but the same has not yet been released.
Ultimately, they submitted a joint complaint to the MGNREGS Ombudsman of Imphal West district for taking up necessary action so as to enable them to get their unemployment allowances on August 12 last year.
Consequently, on August 26, the Ombudsman directed the Programme Officer concerned to pay the said unemployment allowance to the 14 job card holders.
However, the authority concerned failed to provide the same to them despite the fact that the Ombudsman issued an Award in this regard.
Consequently, the job card holders moved Gauhati High Court in consultation with Meihoubam Rakesh of HRLN as their Counsel.
The respondents listed in the writ petition are State of Manipur through the Commissioner, (Rural Development and Panchayati Raj) to the Gov of Manipur, District Programme Co-ordinator, Imphal West District, Manipur Programme Officer, Imphal West II CD Block, Wangoi and Union of India through the Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, New Delhi (Proforma Respondent) .