HYDERABAD: Around 200 workers from Chainpur village come to Hyderabad every year to work with air-cooler making units. The four workers, who were killed on Wednesday in a fire, also came in 2016 to work in the same unit. The migrant workers all came to Hyderabad in January this year.
Irfan, the youngster who hails from Nevra village in Jharkhand, was an active mobiliser of workers from Chainpur area. Though he is a 19-year-old, Irfan was more active than his elder brother Mujahid (20).
Irfan had mobilised around 50 to 100 youngsters from his native place to work at air-cooler making units in Troop Bazaar of Abids and he along with Mujhaid, Shahadu alias Shanawaz and Saddam were working at AV One air-cooler making unit owned by D Pramod Kumar.
“We are paid around `8,000 per month as salary. We work for five months here as the demand for air-coolers is very high. As soon as the summer ends, we go back and do farming,” said Mohammed Jalal Ansari, who was also mobilised by Irfan to work in Hyderabad.
“After coming here, we used to watch movies and spend good time. Irfan spoke to one of our friends around 10 days ago and it was a general conversation. We generally do not talk much, but it was a deep shock for us,” said Jalal Ansari.
“The four workers and the two unidentified persons who died in the fire hailed from a poor background. All their families are into farming. Every year, hundreds of labour come to Hyderabad, work and then leave after the summer ends," said Mumtaz, a native of Nevra village, now working in Abids.
Speaking to the Express, labour department additional commissioner Ravinder Reddy said, according to the law, the employer has to register the details of employees with the labour department. As the employer brought labour from other state to work in Telangana, he has to provide their details and get them insured.
“Pramod Kumar said that he wanted to get his employees insured. He claimed that he has identification cards of his employees with him and the process of insurance was underway. As he violated the law, a case will be booked against him under Interstate Migrant Workers Act, under which he may receive a maximum punishment of imprisonment for six months and penalty of `10,000,” said additional commissioner Reddy.
He also said that notices will be issued to Pramod about the compensation he has to pay to the deceased workers, under section 10 (A) of Employees Compensation Act. If he denies payment, the court will take action against him and ensure that the families of the deceased receive compensation.