The Kerala State Human Rights Commission (KSHRC) has ordered that the salary of officer-level employees of the Kerala State Centre for Advanced Printing & Training (C-APT) should not be disbursed till the salary dues of 413 employees, who were dismissed in 2002, are paid.
Commission Chairperson J B Koshy gave the order on a complaint from Rajesh D Nair, an employee who was dismissed from the C-APT.
Justice Koshy, in his order, said that such institutions should not be allowed to function as per a SC order.
“If the institution can’t pay salaries, it should be closed down and salary dues paid after selling the institution’s assets,” Justice Koshy said.
The order also termed the non-payment of salaries to employees as ‘injustice’ and a ‘violation of human rights’. It also asked authorities who enforce the Payment of Wages Act to initiate prosecution proceedings against the management of C-APT, formerly known as the Kerala State Audio-Visual and Reprographic Centre. The order stated that if C-APT fails to pay the salary dues within a month, then an interest of 9 pc will be levied on the salary from the date of dismissal till present. “Since it is an institution under govt, it cannot shy away from its responsibility of paying salaries,” order said.The MaD of C-APT has been asked to file a status report on the issue on May 7 when Commission will hold further hearing in the case.