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The Supreme Court has refused to hear a Public Interest Litigation plea raising the issue of non-payment of salaries to the daily wage workers serving as Class VI employees in Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, Amangarh Tiger Reserve, and Pilibhit Tiger Reserve.

A division bench of Justice S. Abdul Nazeer and Justice Krishna Murari dismissed the petition asking the petitioners to approach the appropriate authority.

Advocate Gaurav Kumar Bansal had filed this petition to draw the attention of the Apex Court on the issue of non-payment of salaries to the daily wage workers in these three tiger reserves.

Bansal had claimed that he himself took "legal interviews of more than 20 such daily wagers and learned that their families are living in very pathetic condition due to non-payment of salaries since last 11 months."

He had further alleged that he also came to know that recently wife of a daily wage worker committed suicide because of the said financial distress.

In his plea, Bansal stated, "for the respondent, these daily wage workers may amount nothing to them but in reality, most of them are not less than eyes & ears for the Forest Administration of the said three Tiger Reserves."

Accordingly, through this PIL, Bansal had sought direction from the Apex Court to forthwith release the salaries which are due to the daily wage workers.

In addition to this, he had also sought a direction to constitute a High-Level Committee to suggest measures for mitigation of the hardship which the daily wage worker are bound to face during performance of their duties.

Case Title: Gaurav Kumar Bansal Vs. Union of India & Ors.