HYDERABAD: Sixty-year-old Mukthar Ahmed Khan, a former employee of the Nizam Deccan Sugars Limited (NDSL) and the sole breadwinner from his family, used to earn over Rs 30,000 per month. However, he is now struggling to earn even Rs 5,000 as his company ‘illegally’ laid him off in 2015.
Mukthar is one among the 20-odd workers who marched to Hyderabad on foot from Bhodhan, Medak, and Metpally under the banner of Aakali Poru Padayatra (roughly translated as Hunger Struggle Rally), demanding that the government settle their rightful employment benefits, including five years of salaries.
After the culmination of their 200-kilometre walk, they staged a Maha Dharna at Dharna Chowk in Hyderabad on Thursday.
The workers said that they had been laid off on December 23, 2015, without following the due procedures. They argued that the layoffs were illegal and went to the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT).
However, the State government went to the Appellate Tribunal, where the issue is currently pending, they said. They also added that the State government was not attending the hearings in the Appellate Tribunal in Delhi.
After the State-run company was converted into a joint venture in public and private partnership, the private entity took over Rs 500 crore in loans and drove the company to losses, the workers alleged.
When the NDSL was privatised, the company had issued an order in April, 2015 stating that VRS would be provided to the employees if the company goes into crisis, said NDSL workers union’s general secretary S Kumara Swami.