Srinagar: The High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh on Thursday issued notice to government authorities seeking a response over the disengagement of 918 helpers of the Social Welfare Department.
The Court of Sanjeev Kumar issued notice to Commissioner/secretary to Government, Social Welfare Department, Mission Director ICDS, Deputy Director ICDS and concerned District program officers to respond to the plea challenging the order passed by Social Welfare Department dated 27 August, 2021 wherein 918 helpers to supervisors were ordered to be disengaged from the services.
Justice Kumar directed the respondents to file a response by 15 March, 2022.
“In the meantime subject to objections and till the next date of hearing, the petitioners if they are in position as on date and are performing their duties shall be allowed to continue and paid their wages,” he directed.
A plea filed by the workers of SWD department seeking quashing of the order dated 27 August, 2021 issued by Social Welfare Department in terms of which it has been ordered to Mission Director ICDS J&K to disengage 918 Helpers to Supervisors with effect from 1 September, 2021.
It was submitted before the court that petitioners came to be engaged as Helpers to Supervisors under Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) in different ICDS Projects to assist the Supervisors in implementation of the Scheme through various Anganwadi Centres.
It was further submitted that the petitioners continued to perform their duties regularly without any complaint whatsoever and being legally entitled to the wages/honorarium as admissible under rules and there was no occasion to deprive the petitioners of their legally earned honorarium.
“However, the honorarium/wages of the petitioners was not released from 2019, and the petitioners were made to run from pillar to post,” the plea stated.
It was also stated that the superior officers of petitioners would ask the petitioners to wait for release of funds in this behalf which the petitioners would do from last three years given the fact the petitioners being poor had no other option also, however, the petitioners came to be suddenly terminated with one stroke of pen by the respondent Department through the impugned order.
The petitioner workers while seeking a direction for quashing of the disengagement order also prayed that they be allowed to continue to work as helpers to Supervisors in the concerned ICDS projects.
The petitioners also sought a direction upon the respondents to verify the vacancy position and frame a scheme of absorption of petitioners in a fair and just manner by creating suitable posts of Helpers, having regard to their experience, length of service and other relevant conditions, in the interests of justice.

NUSRAT SIDIQ