Jamshedpur, June 24: Over 1,100 cases related to violation of the Minimum Wages Act by individuals, private companies and government departments are pending for more than two decades in East Singhbhum district.

The state labour department has taken serious note of the pending labour-related cases in the state, especially in East Singhbhum.

In a letter sent to the deputy commissioner, state labour commissioner Nidhi Khare has directed him to settle the labour-related cases at the earliest by organising special lok adalats.

According to sources at the district administration, there are 1,179 cases of violation of Minimum Wages Act, 1948, and cases related to Labour Act.

But in the last financial year, only 32 cases were disposed of at the levels of block circle office, subdivisional officer and additional labour commissioner.

The letter to Khare mentions that a majority of the cases could have been settled much earlier, but the lackadaisical attitude of government officials concerned delayed the process.

East Singhbhum deputy commissioner Nitin Madan Kulkarni said following the directives of the labour department, the district administration will hold regular lok adalats to hear and settle the cases related to different sections of the Labour Act.

Sources said most pending labour cases in the district were related to violation of the Minimum Wages Act, child labour and employment of the elderly in production units where they could be exposed to health hazards.

Kulkarni said the East Singhbhum administration will organise lok adalats at regular intervals across the district so that all complainants get the opportunity to air their grievances.

In West Singhbhum, there are 278 pending cases related to violation of the Labour Act. Only 25 cases have been disposed of by the administration of that district.