Shimla, Aug 20
The Himachal Pradesh High Court has issued a strong order directing the confiscation of government vehicles belonging to the Secretary and Director of the Panchayati Raj Department for their failure to comply with an earlier court ruling.
Justice Jyotsna Rewal Dua ordered the seizure of vehicles numbered HP-07-E-0027 and HP-07-E-0003, specifying that they remain confiscated until further orders. This action follows the department’s non-compliance with a September 25, 2023, court directive, which instructed the state government to convert Panchayat Chowkidars, who had completed ten years of part-time service, into daily wage employees.
The court had initially granted the government an eight-week period to execute this order. However, the government’s inaction prompted the affected employees to file a contempt petition.
In its defense, the Panchayati Raj Department contended that the workers could not be transitioned to daily wage earners since they were employed by the Zilla Parishad, an autonomous body. The court, however, rejected this argument and emphasized the necessity of adhering to its original order.
This incident is part of a broader pattern in which the Himachal Pradesh High Court has taken a firm stance on matters involving employee rights and financial obligations, particularly as the state faces a severe financial crisis, leaving billions in employee and pensioner benefits unpaid.
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