Title: Demand to pay the due amounts, salaries, gratuity and pension immediately to the workers of the various Public Sector Undertakings.
SHRI BASU DEB ACHARIA (BANKURA): Sir, everyday I am getting frantic telephone calls from the workers of a number of Public Sector Undertakings.
श्री सुरेश रामराव जाधव (परभनी) : अध्यक्ष महोदय, हमने भी नोटिस दिया है। …( व्यवधान) आप हमको बुलाते नहीं हैं। …( व्यवधान) हम क्या करें? …( व्यवधान)
MR. SPEAKER: I will call all the Members today because these are the last days. I want to finish all the names today. Please take your seats.
… (Interruptions)
SHRI BASU DEB ACHARIA : The salaries are not paid to the workers for months together. The workers of Hindustan Steel Corporation Limited have not been paid their salaries for more than 10 months. You may have seen it in the newspapers that the HSCL workers went to Calcutta and occupied the office of Hindustan Steel Corporation Limited. They demanded that the salary which is due for 10 months should be immediately paid to them. Otherwise, they will not vacate the headquarters.
Then, Sir, the National Project Construction Corporation have to undertake the projects in far-flung areas in Tripura and in the North-East. These workers are not paid for more than 16 months. I have received representation from a number of workers. They have died of starvation. The workers of Rehabilitation Industries Corporation have not yet received their salary for more than four months. The Government has decided to wind up the Tea Trading Corporation of India but the Government has not paid salary to the employees and workers for more than one year. At least, five workers of Tea Trading Corporation of India have died of starvation. There are more than 17 Public Sector Undertakings where the due is more than Rs.10 crore. Then there are IDPL, ECL, BCCL, Burns Standard, Cement Corporation of India, HMT, HEC, Hindustan Cables Limited, IL, Kota, Jessop, MAMC, Triveni Structures, all the units of NTC, Hindustan Copper, NPCC and Central Inland Water Transport Corporation. The total due is Rs.1,684 crore.
A Group of Ministers was formed in the month of February this year to examine this problem of non-payment of salary and statutory dues. A large number of workers who have retired are yet to receive their gratuity and pension, for months and years together. The Group of Ministers was formed on 9th February.
MR. SPEAKER: The Minister is here to give reply. I think he is going to give reply.
SHRI BASU DEB ACHARIA : After formation of this Group of Ministers, the first meeting was held only on 10th of April. This Group of Ministers met only for once. This situation is alarming. The workers are dying of starvation.
The retired workers and employees are not getting their statutory dues. There is a Payment of Wages Act passed by Parliament and as per that the employees should be paid their salaries every month. The Government of India is violating that Act.
MR. SPEAER: What do you want?
SHRI BASU DEB ACHARIA : I demand that the amounts due, the Salary and the statutory dues, gratuity and pension should immediately be paid to the workers. I demand a statement from the Minister.
श्रम मंत्री यहां बैठे हैं। वे मनिस्ट्री से टेकअप करके हाउस में बतायें कि उनकी तन्खवाह का भुगतान कब तक करेंगे।
SHRI SOMNATH CHATTERJEE : This is not a party matter or a political matter. … (Interruptions)
श्री सुरेश रामराव जाधव (परभनी) : अध्यक्ष महोदय, हमें बोलने नहीं दिया जाता।…( व्यवधान)
…(Expunged as ordered by the Chair)
MR. SPEAKER: Shri Suresh Yadav, please take your seat.
SHRI SOMNATH CHATTERJEE : This is a reflection on the Chair. I do not wish to enter into that.
I am requesting that this is such a serious matter that the hon. Minister may please see that no political issue is made out of it. The hon. Minister of Labour is doing everything else than looking after the Ministry because he has no power. We will be with him in his fight; he should carry on and see that the workers, who are human beings and citizens of India, are also employees of the Government of India undertakings. Something has to be done. The hon. Minister should take up his fight with the Minister of Finance and the Prime Minister to help the employees of the Government of India undertakings.
श्री सुरेश रामराव जाधव : अध्यक्ष महोदय, हम सुबह नौ बजे से बैठे हैं। हमको बोलने नहीं देते। …( व्यवधान)
MR. SPEAKER. Now the Minister please. Nothing should go on record except the Minister’s remarks.
श्री राजीव प्रताप रूडी (छपरा) : बिहार में इतने लोगों की हत्या हुई, उसके बारे में किसी को कोई चिन्ता नहीं है। …( व्यवधान)
श्री सोमनाथ चटर्जी : किसने कहा कि चिन्ता नहीं है। …( व्यवधान)
श्री राजीव प्रताप रूडी : बिहार में १५ लोगों की हत्या हुई, उसके बारे में किसी ने भी कुछ नही कहा। हमने नोटिस दिया हुआ है और किसी को कोई चिन्ता नहीं है। बिहार के मामले में सब चुप हो जाते हैं। …( व्यवधान)
श्रम मंत्री (डॉ. सत्यनारायण जटिया) : सार्वजनिक क्षेत्र के उपक्रमों की संवैधानिक देनदारियों के बारे में जो ध्यान दिलाया गया है, निश्चित रूप से यह हम सबकी चिन्ता का विषय है। धीरे-धीरे ऐक्यूमूलेट होते हुए, आपने जो बताया, उससे भी ज्यादा इकट्ठा हो गया है जिसे भुगतान करना है। मेरे पास ३१ दिसम्बर, १९९९ की १८२४ करोड़ रुपये की जानकारी है जिससे भुगतान किया जाना है। किन्तु आप यह मानते होंगे कि जितनी भी सिक यूनिट्स हैं, वे बी.आई.एफ.आर. में चली गई हैं। आप जानते हैं कि सैक्शन २२ के अंतर्गत सारे भुगतान की संवैधानिक देनदारियों पर रोक लग जाती है। इन सारी परिस्थितियों के रहते हुए मंत्री परिषद के एक ग्रुप ने इस पर १० अप्रैल को विचार किया है। हम इस महीने कुछ विचार करके, एक ग्रुप ऑफ मनिस्टर बना है, उसके सामने जो उद्देश्य हैं, उसमें देनदारियों के बारे में विचार करने का विषय भी सम्मिलित हुआ है। मैं विश्वास करता हूं कि इस बारे में सरकार शीघ्र अच्छे परिणाम लेकर सामने आयेगी। संवैधानिक देनदारियों की तरफ से जो भुगतान करने की बात है, उसका कोई उपाय निकालेंगे। …( व्यवधान)