High Court asks TS to implement registration of unorganised sector workforce
The Supreme Court had earlier issued an order in this regard, setting a deadline for the Centre to complete the process by July 31
Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has directed the state government to implement the recent directions issued by the Supreme Court for registration of the unorganised sector workforce. The apex court had set a deadline for the Centre to complete the process by July 31.
The case came up at the High Court as a public interest litigation filed by Damodar Rajanarasimha, former deputy chief minister. He referred to the failure of the state government in constituting the state-level social security board (SSB).
He also sought directions to the government to identify, register and maintain the database of the unorganized workers, formulate a comprehensive policy and appropriate social security schemes for all sections of unorganised workforce as stipulated under Act 33 of 2008.
Earlier, the High Court had issued interim orders to constitute the board and start the registration of unorganised sector workers and issue identity cards to them.
The matter came up afresh before the division bench comprising Chief Justice Hima Kohli and Justice Vijaysen Reddy. The bench asked why there was non-compliance of its directions for starting the registration process.
Advocate-General B.S. Prasad informed the bench that the state government has constituted the state-level SSB with 28 members. It has identified 29,000 workers from the unorganised sector.
He said all the departments concerned had commenced the work of enumeration and identification of such workers including those in the construction sector, brick kilns, hotels, rice mills, manufacturing units and domestic sectors. He assured the court that the state government will implement all the directions issued by the Supreme Court.
Recording the Advocate-General's submissions, the bench directed the labour department secretary to complete the registration process within four weeks and submit the status report along with the information on social security schemes that are on offer for the underprivileged workers. The case has been listed for hearing on August 25.