Supreme Court Calls Upon Chief Secretaries of Delhi and NCR States for Non-Payment of Worker Compensation
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New Delhi, Dec 2 (NationPress) The Supreme Court summoned the Chief Secretaries of Delhi and the neighboring NCR states of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Rajasthan on Monday due to their failure to pay subsistence allowances to construction workers during the halt of construction activities under the GRAP-IV regulations.
A Bench led by Justices Abhay S. Oka and A.G. Masih was addressing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) concerning pollution control in Delhi and the surrounding NCR region.
The Justice Oka-headed Bench stated that the Chief Secretaries from Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan must appear before the apex court on December 5 at 3:30 P.M.
Meanwhile, the court permitted the state governments to submit affidavits regarding the disbursement of compensation to construction workers.
“We are not mandating their physical presence; they may connect through video conferencing to ensure all states grasp the gravity of the situation. Summoning top state officials is essential for progress,” the apex court remarked.
When the representative for the Rajasthan government argued that funds had been allocated to each district, the top court expressed its expectation that at least one state should have disbursed subsistence allowances to a “considerable number” of construction workers by this time.
It warned that if there is no substantial compliance in reporting actual payments to construction workers, it would contemplate initiating contempt proceedings against the negligent officials.
In a prior session, the Supreme Court had instructed the Delhi and NCR governments to utilize the funds collected as labour cess for the welfare of construction workers by providing them with weekly subsistence allowances while construction activities are halted.
The Commission for Air Quality Management has extensive powers under Section 12(1) of the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Act, 2021 to direct various authorities to implement measures ensuring that individuals in vulnerable groups, such as laborers and daily wage workers, do not suffer. Thus, the Commission is directed to urgently address this issue by issuing necessary directives.
The apex court also mandated the Commission to take immediate action against any officials or entities failing to effectively implement Stage IV of the GRAP in Delhi-NCR.
It further stated that unless the apex court is assured of a consistent decrease in the Air Quality Index (AQI), it cannot allow relaxation of Stage IV norms.
