Fri Feb 21 17:03:18 UTC 2025: ## Karnataka High Court Condemns State’s Salary Withholding as ‘Begar’
**Bengaluru, February 21, 2025** – The Karnataka High Court has sharply criticized the state government for withholding the salaries of teachers at a government-aided engineering college as a means to enforce a staff transfer order. The court deemed this action “begar,” or forced labor, violating Article 23 of the Indian Constitution.
The case involved B.V.V. Sangha’s Basaveshwara Engineering College in Bagalkot, which challenged the government’s June 2024 decision to withhold grant-in-aid for teacher salaries. The government’s justification was the college’s refusal to accept six non-teaching staff transferred from another institution.
Justice M. Nagaprasanna ruled that the state’s action was illegal. While acknowledging the government’s power to withhold grants under certain circumstances (e.g., non-compliance with reservation policies), the court emphasized that such power does not extend to compelling staff transfers without prior consultation with the affected institution. The court stated that the transfer process should be tripartite, involving the employee, the sending institution, and the receiving institution. In this case, the decision was unilateral, bypassing the college’s objections.
The court ordered the immediate release of the withheld grants within seven days, allowing the government to initiate a proper consultation process for future staff deployments. The judge strongly criticized the government’s actions, calling them “highly unbecoming” and highlighting the negative impact on the affected teachers.
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