HC raps Maha govt on low payment to panel members overseeing publication of Ambedkar writings


PTI | Mumbai | Updated: 04-08-2022 19:58 IST | Created: 04-08-2022 19:58 IST
HC raps Maha govt on low payment to panel members overseeing publication of  Ambedkar writings
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The Bombay High Court on Thursday expressed its displeasure with the Maharashtra government over low remuneration paid to members of a committee set up to oversee the publishing of writings and speeches of jurist-social reformer Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar.

A division bench of Justices Prasanna Varale and Kishore Sant noted that the government's decision to pay Rs 10,000 per month to the non-government members of the committee was not a ''welcome step''.

The bench was hearing a petition taken up suo motu (on its own) in December 2021 after media reports said the Maharashtra government had halted its project of publishing the literature of Ambedkar.

During earlier hearings, the court was informed that a 26-member committee, which included experts, was in place to overlook the publication of writings and speeches of social reformers, including Ambedkar.

The court had, on the last hearing in July, sought to know from the government how much remuneration was paid to the committee members who are of experts in their field.

On Thursday, the bench was informed by government pleader Purnima Kantharia that the non-government members were paid Rs 10,000 each month. There are 10 such members in the panel.

To this, the court, said the amount comes to around Rs 300 per day.

''What is this? How can the state pay such a less amount to experts? At least pay them as per their knowledge and status. This isn't a welcome step at all,'' Justice Varale said.

The court also took note of the fact that travel allowance paid to those members who are coming from outside Mumbai for the committee-related works is only Rs 250 and as per a policy framed in 1971.

Justice Varale noted that the price index has gone up since 1971 and asking the members to accept these allowances was certainly not a welcome step.

The court also pulled up the government for failing to pay Rs 6.50 lakh each to Yashwant Chavare and Pradeep Naik, who have in their possession ''Malhaar Satyagraha (movement initiated by Ambedkar against untouchability) and Prabuddha Bharat (compilation of his speeches and writings)''.

The bench was informed by advocate Swaraj Jadhav, appointed by the court to assist it, that the duo was ready to hand over the original material to the state way back in 2013 and the government, too, agreed to pay Rs 6.50 lakh each to them. However, due to some technical issues, the government refused to pay the honorarium and even didn't accept the said materials.

Justice Varale said the government must consider the fact that these two men are aged persons and that the materials with them is more than 50 years old now.

''Someone gives you (government) material but you make them wait for 6 years? Shouldn't the state pay them at least something,'' he asked.

The bench ordered the state government to ensure that appropriate and sufficient funds are made available to the committee apart from supporting staff to carry out its work smoothly.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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