High Court of J&K and Ladakh stays judgment on village defence scheme
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The High Court (HC) of J&K and Ladakh on Friday stayed a judgment, pending outcome of appeal, with regard to the new Village Defence Guards’ (VDG) scheme announced by the Centre last year as part of efforts to tackle terror activities in the Union Territory. The scheme came into effect on August 15 last year and replaced a 1995 scheme of the J&K government.
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The government re-christened the Village Defence Committee scheme as Village Defence Guards last year.
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Most of the petitioners are special police officers whose monthly honorarium was reduced from Rs 18,000 to Rs 4,500.
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In April, a single-judge Bench quashed the 2022 scheme.
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However, the new VDG scheme was challenged in the HC and petitions were filed, mostly by special police officers (SPOs) heading these groups whose monthly honorarium was reduced from Rs 18,000 to Rs 4,500.
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On April 6, a single-judge Bench quashed the 2022 scheme and directed authorities to treat special police officers as having been appointed under the Village Defence Committee scheme of 1995 with all powers and privileges of the SPOs under the Police Act.
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A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice N Kotiswar Singh and Justice Rahul Bharti stayed the single-judge Bench’s verdict. “Keeping in mind all the factors and circumstances…, we are of the opinion that interest of justice would be better served if the impugned judgment and connected writ petitions is stayed in terms of its operation during the pendency of the letters patent appeal,” the Division Bench sated.
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Pronouncing a 27-page judgment after hearing Senior Additional Advocate General Monika Kohli, who was appearing for the government, and a battery of lawyers representing the petitioners, the court listed the matter for June 7.
Source: The Tribune
