The bench, comprising Justice S H Kapadia and Justice B H Marlapalley, has also made the divisional commissioner, Nashik, a respondent so that municipal councils in Ahmednagar, Nashik, Dhule and Jalgaon can be covered within scope of the petition. The other respondents are the secretary, Urban Development Department, Government of Maharashtra, the divisional commissioner, Aurangabad, and the finance secretary, Government of Maharashtra.

The petitioners, who claim that most municipal councils in the region have been diverting a major portion of funds meant fortheir employees' salaries to pay contractors, say the civic bodies have thus failed to pay wages for months together. In some instances like at Majalgaon, they point out, salaries have not been paid for over a year. This had also provoked two employees, one in Beed district and the other at Paithan in Aurangabad, to commit suicide, the petitioners state.

Civic employees have also been holding demonstrations and agitating since the last six months to attract the state government's attention to their demand for prompt payment of wages.

Earlier, soon after the news item was published, a division bench comprising Justice N P Chapalgaonkar and Justice Maralapalley, had issued notices before admission to all the respondents. It also directed the secretary, Urban Development Department, and the Divisional Commissioner, Aurangabad, to conduct an inquiry through a responsible officer. The bench had directed that the respondents' affidavit also state whether the non-payment was due to diversion of funds from thesalary accounts, and if not then to explain the reasons. The state Urban Development Department has filed a detailed report. The court has also directed that 75 per cent of the total octroi collection in each municipal council be set aside for payment of the employees' wages.

Following the petition, the divisional commissioner, Aurangabad, has issued detailed guidelines to the district collectorate to ensure that civic employees get their salaries on time. Among the recommendations were filing criminal charges against officials responsible for diversion of funds from salary accounts and dissolution of municipal councils found indulging in rampant misappropriation.