HC grills state on delays hitting unorganised sector

The Telangana High Court on Thursday asked the state government whether it had any sympathy for workers in the unorganised sector or not. The court said the doubt gains credence from the fact that it has not started the registration process for workers in that sector.

A division bench of Chief Justice Hima Kohli and Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy was adjudicating a PIL filed by Congress leader Cilarapu Damodar Rajanarsimha, espousing the cause of the unorganised workers, the problems they are facing and the pathetic life they led during the lockdown.

According to petitioner's counsel Ch Ravi Kumar, the government had failed to constitute the State Social Security Board for unorganised workers numbering over one crore. Many of them lost their livelihood. Now, they are deprived of statutory protection and the benefits intended under the Labour Welfare Act.

Five months ago, during the first hearing the PIL, the then division bench asked the government to appoint all 32 members of the board. Only two were appointed — the labour minister and an official from the department.

The bench questioned the government as to why it has not constituted the board when it had issued GO No. 36 two years back. The court also directed the government to reveal the funding of the board.

The court summoned the labour commissioner on February 25 to explain the delay in constitution of a full-fledged board and why it had delayed starting the registration.

The Chief Justice found fault with the counter-affidavit of the labour commissioner stating that the appointment of the board is under active consideration, wondered if they wanted another five years to make the appointments.