SRINAGAR: The High Court of Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh intervened to halt the Jammu and Kashmir State Cooperative Agriculture and Rural Development (JKSCARD) bank’s directive, which directed the payment of only 40% salary to its employees in the Kashmir division.
This decision, purportedly based on the Administrator’s instructions, led to a significant financial setback for the permanent employees who were not at fault in the bank’s financial losses, reported the Daily Excelsior News Paper on Tuesday.
Justice Rahul Bharti of the High Court issued a stay order on the directive, questioning the basis and reasoning behind such a drastic salary cut.
The court said that penalizing the employees, who diligently discharge their duties without fault, is unreasonable.
The plea submitted by the bank employees highlighted the immense financial strain resulting from the salary cut, especially considering their already meager salaries under the 5th Pay Commission.
Senior counsel M.Y. Bhat, representing the employees, argued that the impugned order unfairly targeted employees in the Kashmir Division while sparing those in other areas of the Union Territory.
The discriminatory nature of the order, which only affected a specific group of employees, raised concerns about prejudice against the Kashmir Division staff.
The bank had previously withheld the salaries of some employees last year, causing distress to their families. The present situation, with salaries being withheld again, adds further strain to the financial conditions of the affected employees.
The court’s intervention, through the stay order, provides temporary relief to the employees, and the plea contends that the order is not only cruel but also illegal and against natural justice.
The court has observed the need for fairness and equitable treatment, urging a reconsideration of the decision that disproportionately affects the livelihoods of the employees in the Kashmir Division.
