Uttarakhand High Court Directs Inspection Of Brick Kilns To Ensure Compliance With Minimum Wage Laws

These directions came in response to a writ petition filed by a concerned petitioner seeking enforcement of government orders about paying minimum wages to brick kiln workers.

Mr. Shubhr Rastogi, Advocate for the petitioner, laid out the grievances before the court, urging for the issuance of a writ mandamus to enforce Government Orders dated 08.03.2019 and 15.03.2024, which revised the minimum wages for brick kiln workers. The petitioner highlighted concerns regarding the alleged failure of authorities to implement these orders effectively.

Mr. Suyash Pant, Standing Counsel for the State of Uttarakhand, presented a letter dated 25.05.2024 from the Assistant Labour Commissioner, Haridwar, stating that surprise inspections conducted at 13 brick kilns revealed compliance with the revised minimum wage rates. However, the petitioner's counsel countered, arguing that the inspections were insufficient, considering there are over 200 brick kilns in District Haridwar alone.

Delving into the matter, Justice Manoj Kumar Tiwari noted the discrepancies between the claims made by the petitioner and the state authorities. While the State Counsel asserted compliance based on limited inspections, the petitioner contended that a more comprehensive examination was necessary to address the prevailing concerns regarding substandard wages in the brick kiln industry.

In its ruling, the court disposed of the writ petition with directions to the Labour Commissioner, Uttarakhand, to conduct thorough inspections of all brick kilns to ensure adherence to the revised minimum wage rates specified in the Government Order.

Additionally, the Labour Commissioner was tasked with ensuring compliance with all relevant Labour Welfare Legislations concerning brick kiln workers.

A deadline of eight weeks has been given to the Labour Commissioner to submit a compliance report in the matter. 

CASE TITLE: MADAN SINGH KHALSA Vs STATE OF UTTARAKHAND

Citation : 2024 LiveLaw (Utt) 10

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