With the approval of the Chief Justice, Justice V D Gyani and Justice N C Jain yesterday took up the public interest litigation and directed the state government to mobilise its resources to pay the unpaid staff's salary without further delay.

Registering the PIL on the basis of a news item published in a local daily, the court said, "It is rather disturbing to note that 50 per cent of the government staff have not been paid salaries as yet although almost half of the month has run out. The State Employees Association has decided to observe April 13 as a protest day and also made the intention clear to go on an agitation." The judges also noted that on the eve of Bihu festival, the plight of the government staff, particularly the middle and the lower rank of the hierarchy, could well begauged.

The judges directed the chief secretary and finance commissioner-cum-secretary to show cause as to why appropriate orders was not issued to streamline payment of salaries to all government employees in time and in no case later than second or third of each month. The notice was made returnable on April 20.

The judges further observed that non-payment or belated payment of salaries was not restricted to March last alone but becoming the usual permanent feature.

In view of the directive issued to the state government, the court also said that it expected the Sadou Asom Karmachari Parishad (SAKP) to desist from resorting to an agitation as indicated earlier in the newspaper report.