In a scathing judgment delivered on Tuesday, the Gauhati High Court reprimanded the Assam Accountant General (AAG) for causing undue delays in transferring pending pay arrears to district judges in the state. The case, titled "Assam Judicial Service Association and ors vs Principle Accountant General Assam," was presided over by Chief Justice Sandeep Mehta and Justice Devashis Baruah. Expressing their dissatisfaction, the bench questioned a representative from the authority regarding the need for judicial officers to personally pursue their salaries. Chief Justice Mehta strongly criticised the recurring errors in pay slips and the lack of timely action, remarking, "Why these errors? If judicial officers have to come to court, that will be the ultimate ignominy for them. Why are pay slips not sent? Why do you need the order of the High Court? This is part of your duties. Every date, we get a report that there are errors. How long will this status continue?" In response, the representative stated that 85 per cent of errors in pay slips had been resolved through an ongoing process. However, Senior Advocate Unni Krishnan Nair, appearing for the Assam Judicial Service Association, pointed out persistent issues with provident fund deductions, arrear transfers, and other errors. Chief Justice Mehta expressed his exasperation, questioning why the court had to intervene in such matters and why the Accountant General couldn't improve their system. He emphasised that the timely payment of salaries was a rightful entitlement for judicial officers and urged the implementation of a seamless process. Referring to their efforts since February, the Chief Justice criticised the Accountant General for repeatedly failing to fulfil assurances made in the past, stating, "What can be more callous on your part?" The bench further questioned the argument presented by the Accountant General that in 15 per cent of cases with errors, the arrears could not be paid due to missing documents. Nair stressed the need for a formalised procedure to address the issue, advocating against a piecemeal approach. Consequently, the Court issued directives to the Assam Accountant General (AAG) to swiftly implement the Integrated Financial Management System software in the state. Additionally, the AAG was ordered to appoint a nodal officer and establish a dedicated helpline by Friday to address the grievances of the petitioners in the interim. The High Court also urged the AAG to resolve any outstanding issues with the State Treasury by the end of the day. The case is scheduled for the next hearing on August 8, 2023.
0 Comments