TENKASI: A mother of three in Tamil Nadu's Tenkasi, who lost her husband in a farm well collapse three years ago, has still not received the compensation from the Labour Department due to officials' apathy.
Speaking to TNIE, V Sermakani, a beedi roller hailing from Kalathimadam village, said her husband S Veerappan alias Mathi was among the three persons who died in the well collapse at Andipatti village near Alangulam on September 28, 2018. "I have three children and live below the poverty line. After my husband's loss, I petitioned the then Tirunelveli Collector, Shilpa Prabhakar Sathish, requesting her help to receive the Rs 5 lakh accident compensation I am entitled to from the Labour Department," she said.
Though Sathish then directed the then Assistant Commissioner of Labour (Social Security Scheme (SSS), C Minnalkodi, to provide assistance, no action ensued. "I have travelled to the distant Integrated Labour Department campus at Thirumal Nagar in Tirunelveli tens of times, but to no avail. I have spent about Rs 25,000 on auto-rickshaw charges alone. Sathish had once warned the Labour Department officials over the delay. Still, nothing happened. Recently, I was asked to submit the birth certificates of my children. A few months ago, I was told to get a certificate from the Village Administrative Officers confirming that Veerappan and Mathi are the same person," she rued.
When contacted by TNIE, Assistant Commissioner of Labour (SSS) D Anandan said he assumed charge of the office only recently and said he would look into Sermakani's application. Sources said the officials at the Labour Department campus here have not yet sent Sermakani's documents to the Labour Commissionerate in Chennai.