MANCHERIAL: THE High Court ban on the employment of dependents at the Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) has left several weddings in Telangana coal belt in limbo.
SCCL union leaders and employees say that after the state government announced employment for dependents, there was a flurry of wedding-related activity in the region, with bridegrooms coming forward to marry women from SCCL employees’ families without dowry. However, many had one demand: they would be named nominee for the dependent job. The son, brother or a son-in-law of a Singareni employee is eligible for a compassionate appointment.
“It was decided that son-in-law would get the compassionate appointment after the employee resigned,’’ a union leader said.
“This was a practice two decades ago and it was revived after the government’s decision,” an employee said.
The government’s announcement reportedly led to a rise in the number of marriages being registered. “We can’t say that all marriages are related to compassionate appointments but there has certainly been an increase,” an official at Mancherial registration office said, adding a marriage certificate would come in handy to prove the groom as the dependent. However, after the HC ban, some of weddings that had been fixed are now in limbo.
“Now, the bridegroom is demanding dowry. Earlier, he agreed to marry my daughter if he was nominated as the dependent,’’ said an SCCL employee from Bellampally. The employee had fixed his daughter’s wedding with a youth from Kothagudem.
SCCL received over 20,000 applications for compassionate appointments in the coal belt area after the government’s announcement. The state plans to appeal against the HC ban.