Azad Pendu Chowkidar Welfare Associatio v. State Of Punjab And Another

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IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB & HARYANA

AT CHANDIGARH Date of Decision : 22.02.2021 Azad Pendu Chowkidar Welfare Association .... Petitioner

Versus

State of Punjab and another .... Respondents (Heard through Video-Conferencing) CORAM: HON'BLE MRS. JUSTICE MEENAKSHI I. MEHTA

Present:

Ms. Shubreet Kaur, Advocate for the petitioner.

* * * MEENAKSHI I. MEHTA, J. (ORAL) By way of this petition, the petitioner-Association has approached this Court for seeking the relief of issuance of a writ in the nature of mandamus directing the respondents to enhance the monthly salary of Rs.1250/-, as being paid to the Village Chowkidars (Watchmen) appointed by the respondents as per the Punjab Chowkidar Rules, 1965, to correspond either at parity with the wages of the Chowkidars fixed for the scheduled employments as per the Minimum Wages Act, 1948 or the salary, along-with other expenses for uniform etc., as being paid to the Village Watchmen in the State of Haryana. An alternative prayer has also been made by the petitioner-Association to direct the respondents to decide its representation

-2dated 22.01.2021 (Annexure P-7) in a time bound manner in the light of the judgment as passed by this Court on 21.07.2004 (Annexure P-2) in CWP No.20630 of 2002, while averring that earlier, the Village Watchmen were being paid the monthly salary @ Rs.400/- and subsequent to the directions as issued by this Court vide judgments Annexures P-2 and P-3, the same has been enhanced to Rs.1250/- only which can not be termed to be reasonable and respectable at all.

Notice of motion.

Ms. Anju Sharma Kaushik, Deputy A.G., Punjab, who has joined the proceedings in pursuance of the copy of this petition having been sent to the respondents-State in advance, accepts notice on behalf of all the respondents.

Heard.

Learned counsel for the petitioner-Association restricts her prayer to the issuance of a direction to both the respondents to look into and decide the afore-said representation of the petitioner-Association dated 22.01.2021 (Annexure P-7) within some specific time frame. Learned State counsel has no objection for the same. Keeping in view the afore-discussed limited prayer of learned counsel for the petitioner and without commenting upon the merits of the matter in hand, the present petition is hereby disposed of with a direction to both the respondents to consider and decide the said representation of the petitioner-Association (Annexure P-7) in accordance with law/rules, while passing a speaking order thereon, within a period of three months from the

-3date of receipt of the certified copy of this order. This petition stands disposed of accordingly. 22.02.2021 (MEENAKSHI I. MEHTA) anju JUDGE Whether speaking/reasoned Yes/No Whether Reportable Yes/No