Even before the ink has dried in the matter of Akku and Leela, who worked without salary at the government Women Teachers Training Institute in Udupi for a long time, a similar story has come to light in Bellary district, Karnataka.
The only difference is that Akku and Leela could get relief after a long legal battle, while it still eludes octogenarian Nannimabi, despite an order from the Karnataka Administrative Tribunal (KAT).
The matter, according to Syed, the eldest of the five sons of Ms. Nannimabi, is in a protracted correspondence right from the office of the Block Education Officer (BEO) in Kudligi to Deputy Director of Public Instruction (DDPI) in Bellary, Director of Public Instructions, Gulbarga, and also in Bangalore.
At present, Ms. Nannimabi, with one of her legs fractured and with backache, is almost bed-ridden. She is, however, anxiously waiting for relief from the government.
Ms. Nannimabi, according to Mr. Syed, worked as a sweeper/aaya in the Government Model Primary School at Nimbalgeri village in Kudligi taluk since 1953 for which she was paid a paltry sum.
Meanwhile, Ms Nannimabi approached the KAT which passed orders in her favour on June 25, 2013, directing the respondents — DDPI, BEO and head master of the school — “to consider the request of the applicant (Ms. Nannimabi) for payment of appropriate wages.”
Though Ms. Nannimabi has made a representation, the officials concerned are busy with correspondence seeking clarification from their higher-ups about the action to be taken.
“We also met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah thrice requesting him to intervene in the matter. Though he referred the matter to the officials concerned, there has been no progress,” he laments.
When contacted, sources in the DDPI told The Hindu that Ms. Nannimabi’s application was being considered on humanitarian grounds and steps were on to provide her relief.
