Andamans L-G orders financial benefits for 'Daily Rated Mazdoors'

After being slammed by the Calcutta High Court for non-compliance of its order in releasing benefits to Daily Rated Mazdoors (DRMs), the Lt Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands Admiral D K Joshi (Retd) has granted the benefits to the workers. The L-G in an order on Thursday granted financial benefit of 1/30th pay plus Dearness Allowances (DA) to nearly 4,000 DRMs.

"In suppression of Administration's Order No 1283 dated May 9, 2023, the Lt Governor is pleased to order for grant of 1/30th of minimum pay plus dearness allowances since September 22, 2017, to the remaining left out Daily Rated Mazdoors as a one time measure who have been engaged for regular nature of work and working under various departments, organizations and autonomous bodies of the administration," the order said.

It also said that "In order to rationalise the workforce and to curtail unnecessary financial burden the government, henceforth, fresh DRM even against the existing slots of DRMs who have since left, shall not be engaged by any department on its own level." Speaking to PTI, Advocate Gopala Binnu Kumar, who appeared on behalf of the DRMs association (Andaman Sarvajanik Nirman Vibhag Mazdoor Sangh), said, "Today, we have a hearing at the Supreme Court regarding the matter. I have seen Lt Governor’s notification but let’s see when it is going to be implemented." There are nearly 4000 DRMs (who didn’t get the benefits) in Andaman and Nicobar Islands and as per Supreme Court order in 1986 the DRMs discharging their duties at par with regular employees are entitled for the financial benefit of 1/30th pay plus Dearness Allowances.

However, on September 22, 2017, the local administration in Port Blair issued a memorandum stating that one-time wages will be given to DRMs and they have selectively chosen the beneficiaries. The matter was challenged by the DRM association in court after the administration once again issued a memorandum stating that left-out DRMs will get their wages from May 9, 2023, onwards and not from 2017 as instructed by the court.

On August 3, a two-judge bench of Justices Rajasekhar Mantha and Bibhas Ranjan De, of the circuit bench of the Calcutta High Court in Port Blair, had suspended Andaman and Nicobar Islands Chief Secretary Keshav Chandra and imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh on the L-G (which he has to bear from his own fund) on Thursday for not complying with an earlier order on releasing benefits to workers.

An order passed by the court on December 19 last year had awarded higher pay and DA to nearly 4,000 Daily Rated Mazdoors (DRMs) employed by the island administration.

On August 4, the Supreme Court stayed the order of the Calcutta High Court suspending the chief secretary and imposing a fine of Rs 5 lakh on Lt Governor for not complying with an earlier order on releasing benefits to the DRMs.

A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra took note of the submissions of Attorney General R Venkataramani, appearing for the chief secretary and the L-G, and stayed the order of the High Court.

However, while issuing the stay order, the Bench had said, “We will stay the order (Calcutta High Court). You (the petitioners) must have gotten the judges really riled up to get this. The next hearing will be on next Friday (August 11).'