Agartala: August 07: The workers of a jute mill have filed a contempt of court case, seeking the immediate implementation of a previous High Court order. According to lawyer Purushottam Roy Barman, the Division Bench of the High Court has given the accused parties eight weeks to comply with the order.
Both the jute mill authorities and the state government have informed the court that financial benefits have been provided to 191 workers as per the High Court’s order, costing the mill 30 crore rupees. However, the mill’s data indicates that 227 more workers are eligible for these benefits, requiring an additional 35 crore rupees. To secure this amount, the mill has applied for a bank loan and is considering selling some of its properties. Initially, the mill requested eight months to resolve the issue, but the High Court has granted only eight weeks.
In September 2018, the Chief Justice of the High Court directed the jute mill and the state government to pay the workers arrears in salaries and allowances from January 1, 1996. Both parties appealed to the High Court, but the appeal was dismissed in 2022. The state government then approached the Supreme Court, which dismissed the Special Leave Petition and ordered the implementation of the High Court’s order within six months. However, both the government and the mill failed to comply.
A contempt of court case was subsequently filed against the authorities. On July 19, a division bench of the High Court, comprising Chief Justice Apurba Kumar Singh and Justice Arindam Lodh, gave the mill three weeks to approach the Supreme Court for an extension of the deadline or face charges. The state government and the mill approached the Supreme Court, which rejected their plea for an extension and directed them to address all matters with the High Court.
The mill has since informed the court about the steps it has taken to resolve the issue, including a promise of 6 crore rupees from the state government. However, if the problem is not resolved within the next eight weeks, charges will be framed against the responsible parties, lawyer Purushottam Roy Barman warned.
In summary, the jute mill workers are demanding the implementation of a High Court order that mandates the payment of arrears to the workers. The mill has been given a limited timeframe to comply, failing which it could face legal consequences.
