Legal services cell conducts awareness

Mahbubnagar: The Legal Services Authority of Mahbubnagar on Tuesday conducted an awareness programme for the workers and labourers’ unorganised sector. As part of this awareness programme, a large number of workers and labourers from transport, non transport, home guards, building construction, handicrafts and others from non organised sectors attended a meeting conducted by the Legal Services Authority of Mahbubnagar at market yard in New Gunj in the district.

Speaking in the awareness programme, Sri Vidya, Legal Judge of Mahbubnagar, said the legal cell of district is always ready for providing legal services to the poor and at the same time create awareness and information about rehabilitation programmes and schemes to help labourers, and others instituted by the government for their welfare during distress.

“For availing the benefits like insurance against accidental deaths and grave injuries for the building construction labourers and workers in transport and home guards in Police Department the beneficiaries must register with the Labour Department. Any one between the age group 18-60 years is eligible, however they should have been associated with their respective work at least 90 days before registering with the labour department,” said Sri Vidhya.

As per the State governments’ new rehabilitation scheme, the State Labour Department as part of its welfare initiative for the labourers had come out with a new scheme of providing Rs 5 lakh insurance for accidental death in the year 2015.

The premium for this accidental death insurance for the registered labourers will be borne by the State government, however for availing these construction workers and workers from unorganised sectors must be registered with the labour department, drivers must have the driving license issued by the State government. However, for those workers in the organised sectors like journalist in media organisations, home guards in Police Departments must have been recognised and issued ID cards from the Public Relations and Police Departments respectively.

While giving suggestions to the handicrafts workers on the problems faced by them during their work and precautions to be taken Sri Vidya said, “Particularly the Vishwa Bhramana community who are mainly depending on their lively hold by making gold ornaments must not buy gold from unknown persons.

Because the police may come and file legal cases against you if no proper documents or receipts of your purchase and sales are maintained. They should seek receipts for any kind of buying and selling transactions and should also install CCTV cameras in their shops to help the police to trace the antisocial elements.”

The judge also highlighted that all the workers must ensure that they hold ID cards from their departments concerned so that during untoward incidents these cards will come to their rescue. As part of the programme the Judge distributed a cheque of Rs 62,200 to Guru Alivelu a construction worker who died in an accident.

For helping the women workers toward pregnancy and delivery Rs 30,000 each was distributed to the registered women workers. For natural death of workers Rs 80,000 and Rs 50,000 if the workers wife is a labourer will be distributed to all the registered labourers as part of the new welfare schemes initiated by the government.

“The government had set up various laws and regulations for the welfare of the workers and labourers, therefore every one must get awareness about their legal rights and get benifited,” said Sri Vidya.