Supreme Court: Order for eviction of over 1 million forest working people stayed
28 February 2019: The Supreme Court of India has stayed its previous order dated 13 February 2019 regarding the eviction of about 1.1 million scheduled tribes and other forest dwelling communities in over 16 states whose claims over forest land had been rejected by state governments.
Hearing a case on the constitutional validity of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 (FRA), the Apex Court had ruled in the favour of the wildlife conservation lobbies and ordered state governments to evict scheduled tribes and other forest dwelling people whose claims had been rejected before the promulgation of the FRA.
Madras High Court raps government, upholds its order on equal pay for equal work
20 February 2019: The Madurai bench of the Madras High Court has dismissed the appeal of the department of education and ordered that contract safai workers be paid at par with the workers placed similarly in the department.
Contract Safai Karmcharis employed in schools and educational institutions receive ₹13,000 per month while workers in other departments performing the same duties are paid ₹18,000 per month.
A division bench of Justices K K Sasidharan and P D Audikesavalu upholding the January 2018, order of the single judge rapped the government for its failure to implement its own government order of year 2012 and violating the principle of equal pay for equal work.
