Provide amenities to brick kiln workers: HC
Expressing concern over the sufferings of migrant labourers, a division bench of Telangana High Court, on Monday, directed the State government to provide food, shelter and other facilities, as an interim measure to the brick kiln workers till they reach their native places through buses or trains.The bench comprising Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Justice B Vijaysen Reddy passed this order through video conferencing in the PIL filed by S Jeevan Kumar, president of Human Rights forum organisation, seeking direction from Telangana government to shift nearly 1.5 lakh labourers working in 810 registered brick kilns in various districts across the State. Petitioner’s counsel Vasudha Nagaraj told the court that the contractors brought poor labourers from Odisha to Telangana to work in brick kilns in November 2019 and they generally work till the onset of the monsoon. Every worker comes with his family and they work as a unit at the kilns. They are one of the most exploited workers.As per the Inter-State Migrant Workmen’s Act, it is the responsibility of the contractor and brick kiln owner to pay travel allowance to them so that they can go back to their native places. Instead they have started the practice of bringing them in trucks and dropping them either at Medchal Highway or in the city.Earlier, the bench appointed advocate K Pavan Kumar as Advocate Commissioner and directed him to visit Medchal to find out whether migrant workers are stranded and submit a detailed report before the court by Tuesday.
Salary issue: HC to hear govt arguments on June 15
A division bench of Telangana High Court on Monday posted to June 15 for hearing the State government’s arguments in the petitions filed against the State’s decision to defer pensions by 25 per cent to pensioners and salaries by 50 per cent to employees, during the lockdown period.The bench of Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Justice B Vijaysen Reddy was dealing with petitions filed by Telangana government pensioners joint action committee (JAC), represented by its chairman K Laxmaiah, and senior advocate S Satyam Reddy and others challenging the GO 27 issued by the State government on March 30, 2020 for deferment of a portion of pension and salary amount for March 2020. The petitioners contended that this deferment has created lot of problem for the employees as well as the pensioners and they have been struggling to get on with their lives during this lockdown.
Polluting industries: GHMC told to file affidavit
A division bench of Telangana High Court on Monday directed the GHMC to file counter affidavit informing about the number of notices issued and action taken against the polluting industries situated in Shastripuram colony in Katedan area on city outskirts.On March 11 this year, the court directed the GHMC, State Pollution Control Board and Electricity Department for closure of all unauthorised plastic units, workshops and so on, numbering 300 and odd, which are in existence from 2012 to till date in Shastripuram colony.When the matter came up for hearing on Monday, the government counsel submitted that notices have been issued to about 345 industries. About 64 industries have approached the High Court for relief.