CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Tuesday directed the Central and State governments to consider representation on a plea seeking to constitute a high-level committee to sanction an economic stimulus package to private sector employees and the unorganised sector.
According to the petitioner, S Kalimuthu Mylavan, an advocate, in case of a partial or complete lockdown, economical loss of pay will happen to employees of private and unorganised sectors, private industrial and educational establishments and to the general public. He argued that during last year’s lockdown, several people had lost their jobs and livelihood and even gotten into depression.
The monetary loss suffered by each of the them in the unorganised sector should make the State as well as the Centre constitute a panel to distribute an economic stimulus. Mylavan also emphasised that Article 21 of the Constitution seeks to protect the lives and personal liberties, except according to the procedure established by the law.
The first Bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy, admitting the plea, recorded the submissions made by the petitioner. The Bench, after hearing the arguments, disposed of the petition and directed the Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Department, New Delhi and Finance Secretary, Tamil Nadu to respond to the representation made on April 16, within 12 weeks.