The High Court today questioned the legality of two provisions of the ninth wage board award involving the payment of income tax of journalists and workers of newspapers and news agencies and their gratuity.

According to the 12th chapter of the ninth wage board award, the journalists and workers of newspapers and news agencies will have to pay their own income tax instead of the employers and they will get only one gratuity instead of two gratuities in a year.

The HC issued a rule asking the respondents to explain in four weeks why the two provisions of the ninth wage board award should not be declared illegal.

Secretaries to the cabinet division, and the ministries of information and the labour and employment have been made respondents to the rule.

The bench of Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah and Justice Mohi Uddin Shamim issued the rule after hearing a writ petition filed by Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha's Employees Union's General Secretary Mahbubuzzaman challenging the legality of the two provisions of the ninth wage board award.

According to the previous wage boards and a verdict of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, owners will pay income tax of journalists and employees and they will be given two gratuities per year, he said in the petition.

On November 12 last year, another HC bench had issued a rule questioning the legality of three recommendations made by the cabinet committee in the ninth wage board, including the provisions of the income tax and gratuity of journalists and employees of newspapers and news agencies.