Gauhati High Court orders payment of due salaries to APTDCL staff

 STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Gauhati High Court issued an order recently that the Assam Plains Tribe Development Corporation Ltd. will make payment of pending salaries only to its employees or retired employees, after receipt of the sanctioned amount from the Finance department.

It was made clear before the court that an amount of Rs. 826.02 lakh has been sanctioned by the Finance Department solely for the purpose of payment of the outstanding salaries of the petitioners, who are employees or retired employees of Assam Plains Tribe Development Corporation Ltd. (APTDCL). The court made the ruling as the petitioners in the instant case had expressed their fears that the sanctioned amount may be spent for purposes other than payment of their pending salaries.

High Court judge Justice Kalyan Rai Surana, referring to an earlier order, said the standing counsel for the Finance department has submitted that, as per specific instructions received by him, the appropriate sanction has already been accorded by the Finance department, sanctioning an amount of Rs. 826.02 lakh only for the purpose of payment of outstanding salary to the present writ petitioners who are the employees or retired employees of APTDCL.

In reply to a query of the court, it was also submitted that, as per an order passed by the court earlier, a direction had already been issued that the APTDCL is to place a list of serving, retired, or deceased employees along with the amount so disbursed to them in their bank accounts after such sanction of the Finance department.

It was also clarified that there is no scope for money not being spent for the purpose for which it was sanctioned.

The standing counsel for the Finance Department also submitted before the court that, as per instructions received by him, the ceiling proposal will be released within a period of two weeks. It was explained that the ceiling proposal is the last stage before disbursement of the money to the APTDCL, and the said corporation, after receipt of the money, would make further disbursal of the amounts.

Accordingly, it was submitted jointly by the standing counsel for the Finance department as well as for the WPT& BC Department and the standing counsel for the APTDCL that after receipt of the sanctioned amount, necessary steps would be taken within a period of two weeks thereafter for swift disposal of the money to the persons for whom it is sanctioned.

As the HC would be on vacation, it was directed that the matter be listed on November 6, 2023, by which time the respective standing counsels have to produce a copy of the status report signed by the competent authority regarding the disbursal of money due to the accounts of those for which it is meant.

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