Murshidabad Municipality: HC orders salary freeze of top officials

Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court has recently ordered freezing of salaries of top officers of Murshidabad Municipality due to non-payment of terminal dues of one of its retired employees.

The bench of Justice Amrita Sinha observed: “The terminal dues of the petitioner who retired from service on 28th February, 2018 has not been cleared till date. Repeated orders were passed by the Court for payment of the due amount along with interest; the same has also not been honored by the municipality on the ground of scarcity of fund”.

The court directed freezing of the salary of the executive officer and the finance officer of the Murshidabad Municipality. Further, it was directed that the honorarium received by the chairman of the Municipality shall also be withheld till the entire dues of the petitioner along with interest are cleared. Leave was granted to the advocate-on-record of the petitioner to implead the Director of Local Bodies as contemnor in the contempt application.

The petitioner Kalpana Hazra had retired from service from her post of conservancy worker in the municipality on attaining superannuation on February 28, 2012. As per her petition, she was legally entitled to get Rs 579150 towards her retirement gratuity, out of which Rs 50000 was paid to her. The balance sum of Rs 529150 was due. Additionally, she was to get her arrear pension. Prayer before municipality chairman elicited no response.