State Atma Nirbhar scheme can’t be used as basis for financial assistance: Gujarat High Court
28 July, 2021: A division Bench of Bela M. Trivedi and Justice Bhargav D. Karia dismissed a petition filed by two Railway Station Auto Rikshaw Drivers’ Unions seeking financial assistance from the Gujarat government under the Atma Nirbhar Gujarat Sahay Yojna. It observed that financial assistance can not be claimed as a matter of right by petitioners even though they have suffered huge losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
National Green Tribunal raps Delhi government for laxity in dealing with factory fire
25 July, 2021: A bench headed by National Green Tribunal Chairman Adarsh Kumar Goel pulled up Delhi government and the Department of Industrial Safety for their lackadaisical approach in dealing with cases of factory fire and compensating fire victims. It was listening to a matter related to a west Delhi factory fire that led to the death of six workers.
It has constituted a constituted a committee comprising officials of the Central Pollution Control Board, Delhi Pollution Control Committee, the West Delhi district magistrate, the directors of industrial safety and health and the deputy commissioner of police for Outer Delhi to look into the matter.
Delhi High Court issues notice to Centre, BSF DG in sexual harassment case
20 July, 2021: A Border Security Force (BSF) officer moved the Delhi High Court, alleging sexual harassment at workplace and seeking a court-monitored Internal Complaints Committee (ICC). The petitioner, a commandant in-charge at Sector Headquarter (SHQ) Hospital, Panisagar, Tripura, alleged no action taken in her case by the BSF director-general since 2018, when she reported sexual harassment meted by a senior. The division Bench of Justices Rajiv Sahai Endlaw and Amit Bansal has issued notices to the Centre and the DG.
SC holds junior engineers in UP irrigation department eligible for old pension scheme
12 July, 2021: The division Bench of Justices U.U. Lalit and Ajay Rastogi upheld the judgment of Allahabad High Court and dismissed the plea of Uttar Pradesh government contesting the entitlement of junior engineers in irrigation department over Old Pension Scheme. It had claimed that the engineers joined duty after 1 April, 2005 while the scheme was applicable only till 31 March, 2005. The court found that advertisements for the post were issued in the 2002 and appointment letters issued on 30 March, 2005 — a day before the scheme expired; hence, it held the claim of the state government to be invalid.
SC directs government to frame guidelines for compensation to COVID-19 victims
1 July, 2021: A three-judge bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan on 30 June, 2021 directed the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to formulate and standardise compensation for the kin of those who died due to COVID-19 or coronavirus-related complications. It held that it was the NDMA’s statutory duty to frame guidelines for minimum ex-gratia assistance when there were disparities in compensation offered by different state governments. It also held that the Centre cannot take say it was not fiscally possible for the states to bear the cost of the ex-gratia expenditure. It also rapped the government for not issuing proper death certificates to those who died of COVID-19.
