Udupi, Dec 10: Akku and Leela who had been working for a mere Rs 15 per month for the last 42 years shook the entire nation. Though the Supreme Court had given its verdict in this case, the same has not been implemented even after four years, thereby amounting to Contempt of Court.
However, Activist Dr Ravindra Shanbhaug who has been fighting for the rights of Akku and Leela said that the officials are hatching a plot to pay the arrears of just 5 years as against 42 years, just to escape the punishment for contempt of Court.
Addressing news conference on Monday, Dr Shanbhaug said that Akku and Leela were taken on temporary basis in 1971 to Udupi Government Girls' Training Centre.
Akku from Kinnimulky and Leela from Chitpadi soon joined duty as cleaning staff in the training centre for a basic salary of Rs 15 each.
Later on, though the two struggled to get themselves promoted as permanent staff, all their efforts went in vain. In 1984, though the Government order was out stating that all the employees who have served for over 10 years can be made permanent, several application were acknowledged but Akku and Leela's were rejected.
In 1998, Akku and Leela, under the guidance of Udupi Manava Hakkugala Rakshana Prathishtana went to Karnataka Administrative Tribunal (KAT).
Following this, the duo was sacked from job by Department of Education. But, they continued to work and retired in 2011.
Meanwhile, in 2003 the Tribunal made the service of the two permanent and also stated that the arrears of the two must be released to them from 1971.
Questioning this order, the state government went to the High Court where the HC upheld the verdict of the KAT.
The Government then went to the Apex Court and lost its face again as the SC too in 2010 stated that the services of Akku and Leela must be regularized and they should be paid arrears from 1971.
Contempt of Court
Seeing that Government had not implemented the SC order over the last four years, the Human Rights organization of Udupi went to Supreme Court and registered a Contempt of Court case against the State government.
The SC gave two months time to the government to implement the order. This too was brushed aside by the state. Now that the education department officials are sensing trouble as the SC may order imprisonment of the officials concerned anytime soon, they are staging an eyewash of releasing arrears of few years.
The Education Department Under Secretary has ordered to release Rs 2,21,296 and Rs 2,21,396 to Akku and Leela respectively as arrears from 1998 to 2003. However, the department has not spoken of considering the two as permanent employees.
While the department is due to pay Rs 27 lakhs, it is ready to pay a meager amount of Rs 2 lakhs to the two grieved employees.
Dr Shanbhaug says that the Akku and Leela case is just the tip of the iceberg as according to him there are over 750 such staff who have been working for mere Rs 15 basic pay since the last 42 years.
Padma, an employee of Malpe Government Pre University College and Elizabeth in Mangalore are some of the employees who have been working under same condition. Several of them have retired, says Dr Shanbhaug.
Battling difficulties
Akku says that she is asking for what legally belongs to her.
“My husband is unwell. One of sons is a painter and the other is a pigmy collector. I have two daughters to be married off. I am demanding for my hard earned money from the state,” said Akku.
Meanwhile, Leela too is battling similar background.
Her husband, who was sweeper in Manipal has retired. She has three daughter to take care of. The arrears is the only silver lining in her life.
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