Employee denied salary, declared ‘Dead’; Haryana Rights Commission takes note

August 18, 2025

Chandigarh: The Haryana Human Rights Commission has taken suo-motu cognizance of a media report highlighting an incident where a serving employee of the Public Health Department, a resident of Rohtak, was allegedly denied his salary in the post-COVID period because his Aadhaar record shows him as “deceased”.

This is despite the fact that he is alive and continues to discharge his duties regularly. As a result of this administrative lapse, the employee has reportedly been deprived of his lawful remuneration for an extended period.

Upon review, the Commission observed that the Public Health Department failed to update the employee’s record on the HKRN portal, despite being aware that the “deceased” status in Aadhaar was erroneous. This inaction has caused the complainant prolonged financial hardship and mental agony, undermining his right to work with dignity and creating unnecessary uncertainty.

The Commission expressed concern that such errors can severely affect an individual’s livelihood, confidence, and peace of mind. The full bench of the Commission, comprising Chairperson Justice Lalit Batra and members Kuldip Jain and Deep Bhatia, noted that such treatment appears contrary to Article 7 of the United Nations International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), which recognises the right to just and favourable conditions of work, including remuneration ensuring a decent living for workers and their families.

The Commission has called for a report on the necessary corrections to the Aadhaar record of the complainant from the Additional Deputy Commissioner, Rohtak, and the Commissioner and Secretary, Citizen Resources Information Department (CRID), before the next hearing on September 23.