Himachal asked to implement Shetty commission report

The Himachal Pradesh High Court on Monday directed the state government to implement the recommendations of the First National Judicial Pay Commission, also known as the Shetty commission, within two weeks for the employees of the subordinate courts.

The court also issued contempt notices to the chief secretary, the principal secretary (finance) and the principal secretary (law) on failing to comply with the court's earlier orders.

The orders were passed by a division bench of Chief Justice Mansoor Ahmad Mir and Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan on a contempt petition filed by the Himachal Pradesh Non-Gazetted Judicial Employees Welfare Association.

The court directed the respondents to appear before it on April 1, the next date of hearing.

On January 3, 2014, the high court had quashed the Himachal Pradesh Subordinate Courts Employees (Pay, Allowances and other Conditions of Service) Act of 2005, calling it a colourable exercise of legislation that overrules the directions of the Supreme Court to implement the Shetty commission recommendations uniformly throughout the country.

It had directed the state to implement the recommendations from April 1, 2003.

The petitioner then moved an execution petition in the high court and on September 15, 2014, the court had directed the government to comply with the directions within 12 weeks.