LEH, November 5: The Himalayan Institute of Alternative Ladakh (HIAL), founded by Sonam Wangchuk, is facing proceedings before the labour authority in Leh over allegations by a former employee, Amina Khatoon, of non-payment of maternity benefits and denial of employment-related documents.
In her complaint before the Assistant Labour Commissioner (ALC), Leh, Khatoon alleged that the institution withheld her maternity salary for 26 weeks despite her submission of the required medical and delivery documents. She stated that she had been working with HIAL since 2023 and proceeded on maternity leave on March 9, 2024, after continuing to work throughout her pregnancy.
The complainant further alleged that within a month of delivering her child, she was removed from official communication groups and her corporate email account was deactivated. She claimed that despite approaching the institution regarding her return to work, she received no clear response and was subsequently denied an experience certificate, affecting her professional prospects.
The matter was registered as Case No. 22 before the Assistant Labour Commissioner, Leh, on June 27, 2026. The complaint invokes provisions of the Payment of Wages Act, 1936, the Code on Wages, 2019, and the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961.
According to the case record, notices were issued to HIAL CEO Gitanjali Angmo and its HR representative, Deachen, on multiple occasions. A final notice directed the concerned representatives to appear on September 15, 2026, warning of permissible legal action in case of non-compliance.
The case record states that the representatives appeared only once during the proceedings, on July 13, 2026, while the CEO did not appear on subsequent dates despite repeated notices.
Following the non-appearance on September 15, the matter was listed for November 7, 2026, for final orders.
Khatoon has sought the authority’s intervention for release of her alleged pending maternity benefits and resolution of issues relating to her employment status and withheld professional documents.
Comments are closed.