Despite an order from the Madras High Court in November stating that the government release funds for the payment of salary to the staff of the Puducherry State Commission for Women, the staff say that they have not received any money so far.
In March 2011, the salary to these employees was stopped “without any reason” and since then, although they had been coming to work on a daily basis, they had not received their pay, they allege.
The Puducherry State Commission for Women’s Staff Association had approached the Madras High Court for a solution. The Court had, in September directed the government to maintain status quo with respect to the employment situation, one of the members of the association told The Hindu .
After the direction had been issued, the staff had approached the former chairperson of the Puducherry State Commission for Women and written to the National Commission for Women. However, there had been no response so far. The NCW had forwarded the matter to the State Commission and despite repeated requests, no action had been taken, the association member said.
Last month, the chairperson of the Puducherry Women’s Commission S. Kamalini had resigned her post. Since none of the six members that constituted the Commission had been appointed, it was just the staff that came to work on a daily basis.
During the visit of the chairperson of National Commission for Women, Mamta Sharma, here on Friday, a few members of the association came to give her a letter. She responded saying that if they sent a fax to the NCW, they would look into the matter.
Ms. Kamalini told The Hindu, “Like other government concerns, there were salary problems in the Women’s Commission, but they would be sorted out soon.”
