Arunachal didn't get proper hand-holding from Centre: CM Pema Khandu
Itanagar, Sep 16 : Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Saturday rued that Arunachal Pradesh did not receive proper hand-holding from the Central government ever since the time it was granted statehood.
"Arunachal should develop at their own pace safeguards to ensure their well-being," he said at the first-ever joint conference of Anganwadi and ASHA workers held in Tawang, bordering China.
In a statement, Khandu lamented that Arunachal did not have proper hand-holding from the Indian government since its journey from North East Frontier Agency (NEFA) to statehood, resulting in deteriorated work culture and development disparity in the state.
The Chief Minister noted that time has come for Arunachal Pradesh to remodel, rethink and reshape its development discourse with proper planning and policy reforms to an audience of more than 500 Anganwadi and ASHA workers that had gathered from various districts.
On labour reforms, Khandu said even without any demands placed, the state government has enhanced the honorarium of 12,050 Anganwadi workers and helpers to Rs 1,500.
The Chief Minister announced an additional honorarium of Rs 500 on the occasion, which will be implemented from next month.
"If additional enhancement is required it will be examined and matter brought to the cabinet. Benefits have already been announced in the budget," he said
The Chief Minister said at present, the Central government is working on minimum wages for workers and when announced will be implemented in the state as well.
Talking about important initiatives of state government, Khandu said "Sarkar Aapke Dwar" programme by district administrations is being carried our successfully across the states. He said more than 1 lakh beneficiaries have benefited from the programme.
On air connectivity, the Chief Minister said Tezu airport will be made operational soon as the tender process is completed and finalised.
He said the state government will also start its own aircraft services to connect the six Advanced Landing Grounds in the state.
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‘Pay worker before sweat dries’: Madras HC invokes prophet’s teaching to settle lawyer’s dues
Madurai: Invoking the teachings of Prophet Muhammad to emphasise principles of fairness in labour jurisprudence, the Madras High Court has directed the Madurai City Municipal Corporation to settle the unpaid legal fees of a former standing counsel. Justice G.R. Swaminathan, in an order passed on Saturday, referred to the prophetic principle, “pay the worker before his sweat dries”, observing that this tenet is a facet of fairness eminently applicable to service and labour law.
The court was hearing a plea filed by P. Thirumalai, who served as the standing counsel for the Madurai City Municipal Corporation for over 14 years, from 1992 to 2006. Thirumalai contended that the civic body had failed to pay outstanding dues amounting to Rs 13.05 lakh for his representation in approximately 818 cases before the Madurai District Courts. The current petition was filed after the Corporation rejected a substantial part of his claim following a previous court direction to consider his representation.
Addressing the practical difficulties faced by the petitioner, who stated he could not afford to engage a clerk to obtain certified copies of the 818 judgments to substantiate his work, Justice Swaminathan devised a pragmatic solution. The court permitted the former counsel to approach the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) with a list of cases. The DLSA has been directed to procure the certified copies within two months, with the costs to be borne by the corporation and later deducted from the petitioner’s final settlement.
While the court acknowledged the Corporation's stance that fee bills must be in order, it ordered the civic body to settle the dues within two months of receiving the records from the DLSA.
However, citing the petitioner’s 18-year delay in challenging the non-payment, the court ruled that the settlement would be made without interest.
Beyond the specific relief granted to the petitioner, the single-judge bench made strong observations regarding the administration of legal fees and public funds. Justice Swaminathan termed the petitioner’s claim a "pittance" compared to the number of his appearances and expressed concern over the disparity in payments within the legal field. He noted that while "scandalously high amounts" are often paid to certain senior counsels and law officers by government and quasi-government bodies, others struggle to receive basic dues. The court observed that good governance requires public funds to be drawn on a measured basis and not distributed capriciously to a favoured few.
The Judge also flagged the "embarrassment" caused by the high number of Additional Advocate Generals (AAGs) in the state, noting that the appointment of nearly a dozen officers leads to work being allotted unnecessarily. He criticized the frequent practice of government counsel seeking adjournments on the pretext that an engaged AAG is appearing elsewhere. Justice Swaminathan expressed hope that such practices would cease in the Madurai Bench and that the Additional Advocate Generals would "turn a new leaf" from 2026.
