HC respite to over 1,600 ZP contractual employees across state

Nagpur: In a respite to about 1,600 contractual employees working with various Zilla Parishads (ZPs) across Maharashtra, the Nagpur bench of Bombay high court granted an interim stay to termination of such staffers working under the ‘District Water and Sanitation Mission’ in the city.
While staying the July 27 communication issued by desk officer of the state department of water supply and sanitation directing all ZPs to terminate services of all contractual employees, a division bench comprising justices Sunil Shukre and Anil Kilor issued notices to respondents, including centre and state governments, asking them to reply by Friday.
The petition was filed by ‘Zilla Parishad Pani Swachata Va Itar Shasakiya Kantrati Karmachari Sangha’ (Association of Contractual Employees Working in ZPs under the District Water and Sanitation Mission) and others challenging the July 27 termination orders of all such employees.
Pleading on behalf of aggrieved petitioners, senior counsel Anand Jaiswal and Deoul Pathak contended that these workers were working for over a decade on contractual assignments under various government schemes. They pointed out that the state cabinet had taken a decision to continue ‘Jal Jeevan Mission’ and complete water supply work by 2024, in its meeting on July 8, and therefore, the work was available for such employees.
“The Water Supply and Sanitation department’s communication has no mention of authority, who issued directives to terminate services of contractual employees. It also doesn’t fulfil the pre-condition of Clause-4 of the agreement for termination,” the lawyers argued.
“We’ve gone through the record. Prima facie, we’re of the opinion that the desk officer while issuing communication didn’t disclose the source of direction to terminate employees’ services. Moreover, it doesn’t fulfil the pre-condition of agreement and there’s no mention that work is unavailable,” the judges said before granting a stay.
The judges pointed out that Chandrapur and Gadchiroli ZPs chief executive officers (CEOs) had already made a request to the government to continue employees’ services looking to work availability. “HC’s Aurangabad bench already granted a stay to termination of such employees filed by a non-member. In the said backdrop, we’re inclined to grant ad-interim stay to termination till returnable date,” they noted.