Vokkaligara Sangha admin can take salary decisions: HC

The High Court of Karnataka has modified an interim order, allowing the government-appointed administrator of the Rajya Vokkaligara Sangha to take monetary decisions to pay salaries and clear statutory dues.

The court, however, made it clear that the earlier order restraining the administrator from taking policy decisions would remain in force. It also ordered the administrator to submit a report about the decisions and actions he had taken in compliance with the court's orders.

The state government appointed the administrator on August 20 after finding that the Sangha allegedly violated the Karnataka Societies Registration Act by not submitting audited accounts to the Registrar of Societies in the past few years.

The Sangha challenged the legality of the government order. At the last hearing, it argued that the government neither conducted an inquiry as per the law nor issued a notice to it before appointing the administrator. The court passed the interim order, restraining the administrator from taking policy decisions.

Tuesday's hearing saw the government counsel contending that the Sangha, which runs over 30 healthcare and educational institutions, is unable to meet the daily expenses and pay the staff following the court's interim order. He urged the court to set the order aside. The court replied that it cannot vacate the order but can modify it to address their concerns.

The next hearing is on September 26.