NAHARLAGUN, Jun 28: Following a lapse of eight months to comply with court orders, the Itanagar permanent bench of the Gauhati High Court on Tuesday issued contempt of court proceedings against the chief secretary (CS) and other respondents.
The order was issued following the petition filed by about 130 teachers serving under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan (SSA) in various places of Changlang district demanding equal pay for equal work and maternity benefits.
The notice was issued for proceedings under Section 11/12 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, read with Article 215 of the Constitution of India and Rule 8 of the THE Contempt of Courts (Gauhati High Court) Rules, 1977.
The court questioned as to why a proceeding should not be initiated against the respondents for their “willful and deliberate violation of this court’s judgment and order” of 26 October, 2017, passed in WO (c) 721 (AP) 2017, wherein the court had directed the chief secretary to consider and dispose of the petitioners’ joint representation of 10 August, 2017 within three months from the date of receipt of the order.
On 10 August, 2017, the SSA teachers had submitted a joint representation to the authorities concerned for implementation of ‘equal pay for equal work’ in terms of salary and maternity benefits at par with regular teachers.
On 26 October, 2017, the petitioners filed a petition at the Itanagar permanent bench of the Gauhati High Court, following which the court had ordered the chief secretary to consider and dispose of the petition within three months.
