234 third-party contract workers of Consumer Forum/Commissions across India, filed a petition before the Supreme Court seeking correspondence with their counterparts working at various High Courts and District Courts.
The plea states that Step motherly Treatment is been given to the technical staff working with respective Consumer Forums/Commissions (High Court, District Court, NHRC etc) across India under outsourcing arrangement as compared with the staff working for the other judicial.
As per the August 2005 report, National Policy and action plan for implementation of information and communication technology in Indian Judiciary and guidelines, most High Courts and District Courts have absorbed their existing technical staff across India. In Consumer forum/ Commissions a year-to-year Third Party Hire is subjected to the renewal depending upon the whims and fancies of the Contractor.
“ the present Petitioners are desirous of being treated equally at par to technical support staff, hired and employed by various High Courts and District Courts and hence, filing this petition before the Hon’ble Court to fixed tenure and fixed compensation for all the technical staff of various consumers’ court and frame the guidelines accordingly”.
The sole discretion of appointment should be vested to the State Commissions after consultation with the State Commission or National Commission and State Government should not interfere with direct appointments.
The District Courts never face any shortage of staff during the pendency of approvals from the government. The District Judge and the presiding Judge has the sole discretion over appointments.
The Plea further prays for directions to make the national policy of the E- Committee of the Supreme Court applicable to Consumer Commissions and for the framing of guidelines for appointment of staff in these Commissions with reduced interference from the Government.
The Plea also implores for absorption directives of existing Technical Staff/Petitioners as per the guidelines laid down in the National Policy and Action Plan Document Phase-1 of the E-Courts Project.