Patwari Strike: Madhya Pradesh High Court Directs State Patwaris To Resume Duties, Govt Asked To Discuss Their Demands

While directing the state government to negotiate with the Madhya Pradesh Patwari Sangh and to consider and discuss with them, their demands, the Madhya Pradesh High Court last week directed approximately fifteen thousand Patwaris to call off their ongoing strike and to forthwith resume duties. Without going into the details of the demands of the Partwaris, the Bench of Chief Justice Mohammad Rafiq and Justice Pranay Verma directed the Chief Secretary of the State to call the representatives of Madhya Pradesh Patwari Sangh and hold discussions on their demands and take decision within the next two months. The Court was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petitiin filed by 3 petitioners, inter-alia, with the prayer that en masse strike by the Patwaris on the call given by Madhya Pradesh Patwari Sangh should be declared illegal. The petitioners had also sought a direction to them to forthwith join their duties and at the same time, the State Government should be directed to take corrective measures and appropriate action for redressal of their grievances. The Court referred to and perused its 2015 and 2017 orders when the Court had restrained the Patwaris from continuing on strike under the sponsorship of their union and had directed them to resume their work forthwith. The counsel appearing for the Madhya Pradesh Patwari Sangh submitted that Patwaris in the State through their association have been pressing their various demands for last four years, but many of their demands have still not been fulfilled. He highlighted mainly following three demands: Patwaris should not be transferred outside the districts in which they have been appointed, Revision of pay scale, and Providing laptop/mobile handset/hardware so as to facilitate them to effectively discharge their duties. On the other hand, the Advocate General submitted that the State Government was open to consider all the reasonable demands, but he argued that the strike of the Patwaris was wholly unjustified. In view of these submissions, the court directed the respondent No.3 and through them all the Patwaris of the State to forthwith resume their duties. Case title - Manoj Kushwaha & Others vs State of MP And Others Click here To Download OrderRead Order

Patwari Strike: Madhya Pradesh High Court Directs State Patwaris To Resume Duties, Govt Asked To Discuss Their Demands

Sparsh Upadhyay

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