Srinagar: The J&K High Court on Monday granted the “last chance” to the government to file its response on the finalisation of the process of regularisation of casual labourers working in the high court and in the subordinate judiciary.
The court of Justice Ali Mohammad Magray and Justice Rajnesh Oswal granted two weeks’ time to Secretaries of General Administration Department and Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs to file their response.
The court passed the direction after no response was filed by the government since the last court order in January 2020.
Earlier, the Registrar General of the High Court had told the court that the rules for appointment of daily wagers at the High Court and subordinate courts already were finalised.
“The condition of services of officers and other employees of the High Court are regulated by the Rules framed by the High Court with the approval of the Governor”, reads the report of the Registrar General.
It may be noted that the issue of regularisation of these employees was taken up by the erstwhile State Government before the Supreme Court. The apex court while deciding the matter made some observations in its judgment on these daily wagers which the High Court has taken into consideration and has proceeded for implementation of these observations.
When the matter remained pending before the government, the High Court constituted its own Empowered Committee for scrutinising the cases of daily wage workers. The committee made certain recommendations and expressed that SRO 520 of 2017 (regular engagement of casual and seasonal and other workers in J&K) was not applicable for the daily wagers and casual workers of High Court and subordinate courts as the appointments of these employees and staff was governed by Section 108 and Section 30 of Civil Courts Act.
The government, however, insisted on application of SRO 520 to these employees, at which a separate scheme was proposed to be framed by the High Court in a meeting which was convened by the Chief Justice with the Chief Secretary and Secretaries of Finance and Law department.

NUSRAT SIDIQ