Morung Express News
Kohima | June 12
The Gauhati High Court Kohima Bench, on June 10, listed the next hearing of the ongoing contempt petition concerning the honorarium issue of the Village Guards of Nagaland on June 20, and reminded the State Respondents on its previous order of no more adjournment on the issue.
The Court made the observation after the Additional Advocate General Nagaland urged for granting 2 weeks to file affidavits for Commissioner and Secretary, Finance Department and Commissioner of Nagaland and Commandant General Village Guards, who are among the respondents in the petition.
“Earlier this Court categorically made it clear that no further adjournment would be granted for filing any further affidavit, this Court fixes the matter again on 20.06.2024,” read order issued by Justice Devashis Baruah in June 10.
It must be noted here that the Court on April 4 set May 7 as the deadline for the Nagaland state respondents and the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to file required affidavits in reply, else it would “proceed without their submissions.”
Justice Arun Dev Choudhury then noted that the contempt petition has been filed for non-compliance of the judgment and order passed by the Court on January 29, 2019 and another on December 5, 2022 and pending since 2022.
“Even after granting of several dates, the respondent Nos. 4 to 9 has not filed any affidavit. In view of that, let this matter be fixed on 07.05.2024. The respondent Nos. 4 to 9 shall file their pleadings on or before the aforesaid date fixed,” the order had stated.
“If no affidavit is filed, this court may proceed with the contempt without the pleadings of the respondent Nos. 4 to 9,” it added.
As per the Court’s records, the case pertains to a writ petition filed by the Village Guards Association of Nagaland (VGAN).
In the first judgment on November 11, 2017, a single judge of the Kohima Bench directed the State Government to “examine and raise the existing wages and allowances of the VGs to a reasonable level but not less than that of the Home Guards of the State, within a period of two months” from the receipt of the judgement order.
The State respondents filed an appeal against the judgment in the Division Bench of the Court.
On January 29, 2021, the Division Bench directed the State Government to constitute an expert committee to examine and determine the payment/entitlement of financial benefits of Village Guards in consultation with the MHA, Northeast Division.
It came with the caveat that the committee should be constituted within a period of 3 weeks from the date of receipt of the order and complete the process of examining the matter of enhancement of the honorarium and other allowances of the VGs not later than within a period of four months from the date it is constituted.
However, due to non-compliance of the order, the VGAN filed the contempt petition.
On December 5, 2022, the Court once again directed the Committee to be reconstituted within a period of one month.
After being constituted, the Committee was tasked to deliberate and determine the benefits to be given to the petitioners within a period of four months from the date of its constitution of the Committee.
