NHRC issues notice to K'taka Govt. on daily wagers issue

Gulbarga, Apr 10 (UNI) The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued a notice to the Karnataka Government over very low wages paid to daily wage employees working in various government departments in the state that amounted to exploitation.

Informing this at a press conference here today, State Daily Wage Employees Association President Chandrasekhar Hiremath said the association had filed a petition with NHRC highlighting the sufferings of 17,000 daily wagers, who were paid paltry wage of Rs 990 per month.

Responding to the petition, the NHRC had issued the notice to the government seeking details, he said displaying a copy of the notice.

The NHRC in its notice said, ''It has been held by the Supreme Court that non-payment of minimum wages will amount to enforcing bonded labour. The Association had raised a serious question of violations of human rights''.

They had been agitating for a long demanding the Government to regularise their services. Bowing to their demands the state government had formed a cabinet sub-committee but there was no much progress.

Hiremanth warned the Government to the Association would resume the agitational path if the Government failed to take immediate steps to regularise the services of the daily wagers.

UNI