The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Be sympathetic to cause of road workers: court

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Saturday, Apr 30, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Be sympathetic to cause of road workers: court

J. Venkatesan

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has asked the Tamil Nadu Government to consider sympathetically whether three months wages could be paid as interim relief to about 10,000 road workers retrenched in September 2002.

A Bench, comprising Justice N. Santosh Hedge and Justice S.B. Sinha, told senior counsel for the State P.P. Rao to "be sympathetic to them. Don't be dogmatic. As an interim measure pay them three months wages, which can be adjusted when the petition is disposed of."

It posted the matter for further hearing on May 6.

The services of 9,813 gang mazdoors, recruited in 1997 and 1998, were terminated by a Government Order on September 5, 2002. The State Administrative Tribunal, while upholding the abolition of the posts, ordered payment of six months wages to compensate the loss caused to them.

Disposing of a batch of petitions against the Tribunal's order, a Division Bench of the High Court held that the Government Order was wholly illegal and invalid in law and set aside the termination orders. The Tamil Nadu Government filed a special leave petition in the Supreme Court.

Appearing for the workers, senior counsel Indira Jaising and Vaigi submitted that as per the rules once the posts were abolished the workers should be paid three months wages and gratuity at the rate of 15 days of completed service. After the retrenchment in September 2002, 60 workers died and 10 committed suicide due to poverty.

In its SLP, the State submitted that by abolishing the large number of unnecessary gang mazdoors, there would be considerable savings in establishment cost and this could be utilised for the development and maintenance of roads through private participation.

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