Govt to HC: Labourers interests will be protected

The Centre has assured the Delhi High Court that those found guilty of committing labour law violations at the Commonwealth Games project sites will be prosecuted, reports Harish V. Nair.

The Centre has assured the Delhi High Court that those found guilty of committing labour law violations at the Commonwealth Games project sites will be prosecuted.

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Appearing for Centre, lawyer Sanjeev Sachdeva told a Bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Manmohan that the provisions of Labour Laws, Minimum Wages Act and Building and Other Construction Workers Act were being implemented "in letter and spirit" and those responsible for violations would be prosecuted.

He said more than 100 persons have already been prosecuted.

The high court has sought an affidavit indicating the nature of periodic inspections done at various sites and mention the number of prosecutions launched against erring contractors who have committed violations.

The court has asked the Delhi government and various authorities like the Sports Authority of India and agencies in charge of constructions, like Delhi Development Authority and Municipal Corporation of Delhi, not to ignore the basic rights of rights of the labourers involved in Commonwealth Games projects in their hurry to meet the deadline.

The judges ordered the government to take immediate steps to register all the workers, hold camps to make them aware of their rights and take steps to provide education to their children also.

Government Standing Counsel Najmi Waziri submitted before the court that so far 31,542 workers had been registered so far. He said after February this year, when the petition came up, 8,000 had been registered and passbooks too have been issued to them. This is essential for them to claim various benefits.

Waziri said 3,217 children of workers have already been given scholarship in various government- and MCD-run schools and enrolment of more of them is in the process.