Agartala: The division bench of the high court of Tripura comprising chief justice Aparesh Kumar Sinha and justice Arindam Lodh yesterday issued show-cause notices to three senior bureaucrats for non-compliance with order as also for contempt of court. The three senior bureaucrats noticed are secretary for industries, director of industries and managing director of jute mill.

They are to appear in court and explain their conduct as well as reasons why contempt proceedings should not be drawn against them within next four weeks. Sources in the high court said that it was on September 4 2018 that the high court had passed an order in favour of jute mill workers and employees who had demanded the upward revision of their pay and allowances with effect from January 1 1996.

The state government had been directed by the high court to fulfill the legitimate demands of the workers and employees of the jute mill.

Since it was a single bench order the state government had appealed the matter to the division bench for quashing the order as also for exemption from payment of the dues in view of the sick condition of the jute mill. But the division bench had also dismissed the writs in bunch filed by the state government and upheld the single bench order on September 21 2022.

The state government was also directed to clear the dues of the jute mill workers and employees within a period of six months with effect from the year 1996 with arrear payment.

But the state government , overburdened with debt and interest payment liability, did not act upon the high court order and sat over the issue. As a result the union of the jute mill workers and employees filed a contempt petition in the high court which was heard yesterday and orders were issued to secretary and director of industries as well as the managing director of the jute mill to show cause why contempt proceedings should not be drawn against them.

The jute mill workers and employees association were represented in court by senior advocate Purushottam Roybarman, advocates Kasushik Nath , Samarjit Bhattacharjee and Aradhita Debbarma. The officers noticed have been asked to furnish their replies within the next four weeks.