पत्रकारों के वेतनमान के मामले में बुधवार से सुनवाई करेगी सुप्रीम कोर्ट

 सुप्रीम कोर्ट बुधवार से पत्रकारों व गैर पत्रकारों के वेतनमान की अधिसूचना के मुद्दे पर बुधवार से सुनवाई करेगी। आज कोर्ट ने संक्षिप्त सुनवाई के बाद यह तय किया। मालूम हो कि आनंदबाजार पत्रिका की अपील के बाद कोर्ट ने सरकार को अधिसूचना जारी करने से रोका है और 12 सितंबर इसकी सुनवाई की तारीख तय की थी। आज उसी क्रम में कोर्ट ने बुधवार से सुनवाई करना तय किया है।


 पीटीआई की पूरी खबर अंग्रेजी में यहां देखें।

SC-WAGEBOARD
SC to hear Majithia wageboard issue from Wednesday
New Delhi, Sep 12 (PTI) The Supreme Court today decided
to hear from Wednesday the issue of implementation of the
recommendations of Majithia Wage Board for journalists and
non-journalists.
A bench comprising justices Dalveer Bhandari and Deepak
Verma said that after hearing the contesting parties it will
take "some decision".
During the brief hearing, Additional Solicitor General
Parag Tripathi, submitted that the Centre was unable to take a
decision on the issue of issuing notification for the
implementation of the award of the wageboard as the matter has
been pending in the apex court.
He told the bench that the wageboard issue was on the
agenda of the Cabinet meeting but had to be deferred since the
matter is pending before it.
The apex court on July 18 had asked the Government to
refrain from taking any decision on the implementation of the
recommendations of the Wage Board for two weeks.
At the outset, senior advocate K K Venugopal, appearing
for the Indian Newspaper Society (INS) said he was filing a
petition on behalf of the INS and the main arguments would be
advanced by senior advocate Fali Nariman on behalf of the
the ABP (Anand Bazar Patrika) Pvt Ltd, which first challenged
the recommendation of the wage board.
After ABP, several other media houses including Bennett
Coleman Co.Ltd, publisher of The Times of India and news
agency United News of India (UNI), filed the petitions
opposing the Award of the wageboard.
The court issued notices on their petitions.
An advocate appearing for the ABP Pvt Ltd said there was
no reply from the government on the merits of the petition
filed by it.
However, this submission was opposed by the ASG, who said
the Centre has filed its reply on the merits and termed the
ABP's petition as "totally premature".
Tripathi said there was no notification for the
implementation of the wageboard and as such no cause of action
has arisen to oppose the wageboard award.
He  said the petition was not maintainable and therefore
the government should be allowed to go ahead to issue
notification for its implementation.
The ASG's submission was supported by senior advocate
Colin Gonsalves, who, appearing for five federations
representing journalists and non-journalists, said that the
whole premises of the petition filed by ABP and others against
the implementation of the wageboard was wrong.
Gonsalves said in the past also wages have been fixed
according to the awards of the wageboards and those covered
under the Act are entitled for the wages according the fresh
recommendations.
Senior advocate Harish Salve, appearing for Bennett,
Coleman and Co. Ltd, opposed the wageboard award, saying that
the Act governing it was outdated and it also does not include
electronic media.
During the last hearing the government had insisted on
the implementation of the recommendations during the pendency
of case.
Tripathi had said the report should be allowed to be
implemented subject to the outcome of the final decision of
the matter.
  The apex court had issued notice in May to the Union
Government on a petition challenging the recommendations of
Majithia Wage Board, without granting any injunction.
        A petition filed by ABP Pvt Ltd, publishers of
prominent English and Bengali dailies, had sought a
declaration that the Wage Board Award and its recommendations
submitted to the government in December last be declared as
arbitrary and illegal.
        The petitioner urged the apex court to declare
constitution of the Wage Board as ultra vires and grant an
injunction restraining the Union of India and others from
giving any effect to the Award and recommendations made
therein.
        However, the apex court issued notice to the Union
Government after it was informed that the government has not
come out with the notification for implementation of the
recommendations.
        The ABP has named the Indian Federation of Working
Journalists, the National Union of Journalists, the Indian
Journalists Union, the All India Newspaper Employees
Federation, the National Federation of Newspaper Employees as
respondents.