Srinagar, May 26 -- "Section 12 of the Minimum Wages Act casts a legally enforceable duty upon the employer to pay every employee wages at the rate not less than minimum wages fixed," a Bench of Justice Sanjay Dhar said while rejecting government's contention that petitioners were engaged on need basis and that they being paid wages on the consolidated basis and as such the Minimum Wages Act would not be applicable to them.

The court was hearing a petition filed by casual labourers seeking direction to the authorities to release the wages in their favour at the rate of Rs.300 per day from 1 April 2022 in light of Government Order No.121-F of 2022 dated 23 April 2022.

They had also sought directions to release the wages in their favour a...