Karnataka HC shocked as staff nurse gets ₹10,000 salary for 16 years despite court orders
Court seeks explanation for prolonged delay by authorities in issuing caste validity certificate
The High Court of Karnataka has expressed alarm over a staff nurse at the Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) in Hubballi receiving a monthly salary of just ₹10,000 for the past 16 years. This meager wage is in stark contrast to another employee in a similar position who earns between ₹36,000 and ₹67,550. The nurse, Anasuya P. Koti, first brought her grievances to the court in 2010, claiming she had not been issued a caste validity certificate.
The court directed the Deputy Commissioner to expedite the issuance of the certificate within four weeks, but this has proven fruitless. The nurse has been waiting nearly 15 years for the certificate, which is required for her to be placed in the regular pay scale. Despite another court order in 2025 mandating the completion of the caste certificate validation within two months, the certificate remains elusive.
The High Court bench emphasized that the nurse's suffering is not due to any defect in her work but rather the negligence of the authorities. They stressed that administrative lethargy cannot be an acceptable reason to rob an employee of the fruits of her labor.
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