CHANDIGARH, May 22: – The director of social welfare, UT administration, has been served a show-cause notice by the court of the state commissioner for persons with disabilities (PwD) for failing to comply with an order to reinstate the salary of a crèche worker with a permanent disability.
The notice, issued by State Commissioner Madhvi Kataria, demands an explanation for non-compliance with the court’s order dated December 30, 2024, concerning Veena Devi, a worker with 50 percent disability whose monthly salary was slashed without notice.
“The respondent is required to submit a compliance report within seven days from the date of the notice. Failure to do so will result in legal action as per the applicable provisions,” the commissioner stated in the notice.
Devi had filed a complaint last year alleging that her pay, which stood at ₹11,803 per month according to the deputy commissioner (DC) rates, had not been revised annually since 2016 despite consistent revisions in the DC structure. Then, without warning, her salary was reduced to ₹4,650 from November 1, 2023—resulting in a monthly loss of ₹7,153.
She further alleged that the pay cut came with a sudden transfer to a different crèche and a coerced late-night signing of a new contract at her residence, without explanation or time to consider the terms.
“There was no official order for the reduction or any indication that my salary was being turned into an honorarium,” Devi told the court.
The social welfare department denied wrongdoing, stating that Devi had been informed of the terms and had resisted the move as part of a union-led protest. They also denied any element of coercion.
However, after hearing both parties, the commissioner ruled that the reduction in pay was arbitrary and discriminatory, noting that it had intensified the financial and social vulnerability of a person with disability. The court concluded the department’s actions violated provisions of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.
In its December 30 order, the court directed that Devi’s salary be restored to the pre-cut amount—effective November 1, 2023—and adjusted according to the annually revised DC rates going forward. The department was given until April 25, 2025, to submit a compliance report.
When the deadline passed with no response, the court moved to enforce the order. The latest notice warns that continued non-compliance will result in proceedings under Sections 83, 89, and 93 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act. It also references a recent Delhi High Court ruling reinforcing the authority of disability commissioners in enforcing such orders.
The department now has a final seven-day window to comply or face penal action.
“This is not just about salary,” said a senior official at the commissioner’s office. “It’s about the right to dignity and equal treatment under the law. Non-compliance cannot be tolerated.”
