Constitute Social Security Board for workers of unorganised sector: High Court to Telangana government

Hyderabad: The High Court division bench headed by Chief Justice Hima Kohli and Justice Bollam Vijaysen Reddy on Thursday questioned the Telangana government as to why it has not yet constituted the State-level Social Security Board for workers of unorganised sector in the State, when it has issued the GO No 36 on July 13, 2020.

Despite the fact that more than five months have elapsed, still the Board has not been constituted, observed Chief Justice Hima Kohli. The court further made it clear that it would summon the Commissioner of Labour, Telangana to be present before it virtually on the next date of hearing if the Board was not constituted with the sufficient members to make it functional.

The CJ further found fault with the counter affidavit of the Commissioner of Labour, Telangana, wherein he has stated that the issue of appointment of members to the Board was under active consideration of the government, and asked as to why such an undue delay in appointing the members to the Board and further questioned as to what was the quantum of funds available with the Board to be disbursed to the poor workers of the unorganised sector.

The court was adjudicating the Public Interest Litigation filed by C Damodara Rajanarasimha, espousing the cause of the unorganised sector workers in the State and the problems which they were facing and more particularly, the pathetic life they lead during the Covid-19 pandemic. The court further directed the Telangana government to come up with all details in its counter affidavit on the next date of hearing duly indicating the various steps/measures taken by it in formulating the comprehensive policy and social security scheme for all the unorganised sector workers in the State, the funds available with the Board and the number of registrations made in respect of the unorganised workers. The matter was adjourned to February 25.