Excelsior Correspondent
SRIANGAR, July 31: High Court has closed contempt proceedings against Chief Secretary Arun Kumar Mehta and other officials regarding the registration of workers of the unorganized sector in Jammu and Kashmir.
The petitioner- National Campaign Committee- through the counsel Syed Musaib had stated that under the directions of the Supreme Court and as per the provisions of the Unorganized Workers Social Security Act, 2008, it is mandatory for the Government to undertake registration of workers of the unorganized sector for their social security benefits.
High Court while disposing of Public Interest Litigation had directed Government to considered representation regarding the registration of the members of unorganised sector under the law.
Advocate General D. C. Raina filed status report, contending that effective steps in registering the workers of the unorganized sectors in the Union Territory are under way and a dedicated portal is being made available.
In accordance with the directions of the Supreme Court, he said, the Director General Labour Welfare has informed that Ministry of Labour & Employment has developed a registration module for creating a comprehensive National Data base for unorganized workers and at present the process for dry run and security audit is underway.
He said the project was expected to commence the registration work by August 2021 after a meeting to discuss the launch/ handover of portal to the states and other related issues.
He said that the registration of unorganized workers under the Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996, is going on and so far 5,56,291 unorganized workers have been registered.
“In view of the statement made in the status report, it is apparent that the work of registration of workers of the unorganized sector is under way for which proper and necessary steps are being taken at the Government level,” a division bench of Chief Justice Pankaj Mithal and Justice Sanjay Dhar said.
“It cannot be said that there is any willful disobedience of any order of the court at this stage,” the court said, adding, “Accordingly, the contempt proceedings are closed and contempt notice, if any issued, shall stand discharged.”
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