A State must ensure timely payments of minimum wages to all similarly placed individuals without forcing them to repeatedly seek judicial intervention.

ORDER :

M.NAGAPRASANNA, J.

1. The petitioners are before this Court seeking the following prayer:

A. Issue a Writ or a direction or an appropriate order in the nature of mandamus directing the 2^nd respondent to make payment of 6 months minimum wages difference amount to the present petitioners as per the representation dated 08.10.2025 vide Annexure-S to the writ petition.

B. Issue a Writ or a direction or an appropriate order in the nature of Mandamus directing the Respondents to pay a sum of Rs. 20,000/- to the Petitioners as cost of the proceedings.

C. Issue any other order or directions and grant such other reliefs this Hon’ble Court deems fit and proper in the circumstances of the case in the interest of justice and equity.

2. The petitioners are similarly placed to the petitioner in Writ Petition No.106282 of 2024. This Court considering the orders that are passed by the Co-ordinate Benches had quashed the endorsement and directed payment of difference of minimum wages. The order of this Court reads as follows:

“3. Facts in brief, germane are as follows:

The petitioner is appointed as a Library Supervisor in Unchalli Gram Panchayat and has rendered more than 30 years of service as on date. The State Government issued a communication to the respondent No.3 clarifying that Library Supervisors are considered as skilled labourers and therefore would become eligible for payment of minimum wages in terms of the Schedule of minimum wages issued by the State Government from time to time. The Minimum Wages Authority, Kalaburgi, passes an order directing the respondent to make payment of difference of six months in minimum wages to Library Supervisors working in Jevargi Taluka, Kalaburgi District.

4. This is said to have been challenged by the State before the High Court of Karnataka, Kalaburgi Bench, Kalaburgi, in Writ Petition No.20264/2015. The Writ Petition comes to be dismissed. It is later, the State Government is said to have passed an order making payment of six months of difference to the Library Supervisors working at Kalaburgi. The petitioner then submits a representation seeking the same relief and nonconsideration of the representation, led the petitioner to this Court in Writ Petition No.100575/2021, in which, the petitioner along with others. The said Writ Petition comes to be allowed by the following order:

“5. It is not in dispute that the petitioners have been working as Library Supervisor in various Gram Panchayats of Uttara Kannada District for more than twenty years. The Labour Court at Kalaburagi has held that the Assistant Supervisors working in various Gram Pachayat in Kalaburagi District are entitled for payment of six months difference amount of minimum wages. It is also not in dispute that petitioners are also working on par with other government servants as per Annexure-D. The government by its order dated 9.8.2010 vide Annexure-D has held that the Library Supervisors are entitled for enhancement of honorarium on par with other government servants. Hence, it is incumbent on the part of respondents No.1 and 2 to consider the representation dated 25.11.2020 vide Annexures-J to J59 and pass appropriate order. Accordingly writ petition stands disposed of directing respondents No.1 and 2 to consider the representations dated 25.11.2020 at Annexures-J to J59 and pass appropriate order in accordance with law within a period of three months from the date of receipt of copy of this order.”

5. A direction was issued to consider the representation of the petitioners and pass necessary orders in accordance with law. This resulted in an endorsement dated 08.10.2021. The said endorsement is called in question by the present petitioner in Writ Petition No.100630/2022. The Co-ordinate Bench disposes the said petition by the following observations:

“6. The material on record would go to show that the last notification that was issued by the State Government extending the benefits of payment of minimum wages even to the library supe