New Delhi, Feb 14 (IANS): The Delhi High Court on Tuesday sought Arvind Kejriwal-led government to file a response on a plea seeking an "immediate" stop to putting up of job vacancies with salaries below the prescribed or fixed minimum wage on its official portal or otherwise.

A plea filed in a form of Public Interest Litigation (PIL), was dealt by a division bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad.

The PIL seeking implementation of labour laws with termination of bonded labour in the city on the basis of an order issued by the city government regarding minimum wages to be paid to unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled workers, with effect from October 1, 2022, has been filed by a Jamia Millia Islamia University student of the law department.

Petitioner Imran Ahmad in the PIL said he has filed the case for the welfare of labourers working in the national capital.

The plea has sought court's direction to the city government to keep a tab on theA payment made to all such employees through online means and to ensure that they get the right amount.

Ahmad has contended that mentioning salaries below fixed minimum wages for job posts like office boy, cook, waiter, drlivery boy, cmputer operator, ambulance driver, kitchen helper, peon, etc., violates the order by adversely affecting the right to life (including the right to health and the right to dignity) as guaranteed under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution.

Ahmad's plea stated: "It is because a person who does not have the minimum amount of money as decided by the government may not be in a position to buy and eat healthy food and avail other basic necessities such as cloths, accommodation and internet."

The bench, however, asked the counsel representing government to obtain instructions.

The matter has been listed to continue on May 23.