Court refuses to stay honorarium to Imams

Kolkata, May 4 (IANS) The Calcutta High Court Friday, while hearing a public interest litigation filed by the BJP, refused to stay the payment of honorarium by the West Bengal government to Imams till the suit is pending in the court.

The PIL challenges the honorarium on the ground of a Supreme Court directive which states that salary to an Imam can be paid only from the state Wakf board fund.

"Although the court refused to stay the payment of honorarium, it asked the state government to give an affidavit to take the responsibility of recovering the amount so paid if the honorarium is held unconstitutional by the court," Bharatiya Janata Party counsel Kaushik Chandra said.

The division bench of Chief Justice J.N. Patel and justice Sambuddha Chakrabarty has also ordered the disbursing authority to inform the Imams that the honorarium will be paid subject to the decision of the court.

"If the verdict goes against them, they shall be liable to refund the money paid to them," added Chandra.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Thursday announced her government's plan to pay a monthly honorarium of Rs.2,500 to around 30,000 Imams in the state. The PIL will be next heard May 6.