CPI(M) MPs ask for justifiable legislation for unorganised workers

New Delhi, Sep 7 (UNI) CPI(M) stalwart and Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury today led a high-level delegation of party MPs to the Prime Minister office to seek Dr Manmohan Singh's urgent intervention for ''comprehensive and justifiable'' legislation to provide social security and better working conditions to over 370 million unorganised workers.

During half-an-hour meeting, as many as 37 party MPs, representing both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, urged Dr Singh to ensure that the government brought in legislation based on the two draft legislations prepared by the National Commission for Enterprises in the Unorganised Sector( NCEUS).

The legislations deal with conditions of the Unorganised Sector workers in general and agriculture workers in particular.

At a press conference, party senior leader Rup Chand Pal said the party MPs submitted a memorandum in the regard to Dr Singh with an emphasis that only the legislation, which has got legal backing, could ameliorate the plight of the unorganised workers.

The MPS also demanded that the delivery mechanism of the legislation be made authentic so as to ensure that that it did not meet the fate of some other 8-9 government schemes, not yielding required results at the ground level.

The Left MPS said they impressed upon the PM that the legislation could be beneficial only if they were backed by legal backing of central government funds.

The Union Cabinet only yesterday cleared the proposal for such legislation.

''The PM has said it will be possible to incorporate certain new suggestions in the Bill as it is quite flexible,'' Mr Pal said.

Party senior leaders and Rajya Sabha members Mohammad Amin and Tapan Sen said the PM told them that that the Cabinet had already cleared such legislation only yesterday.

Mr Amin, who is also the CITU General Secretary, said they drew Dr Singh's attention towards the government's commitment to bring in legislation in the monsoon session of Parliament but which had still to happen.

''The PM listened to our views seriously, and we are hopeful that the government would keep its promise in accordance with the promise of the national minimum Programme(NCMP),'' said Mr Sen, adding that the legislation would be meaningful and not come out as a mere expression of the government's pious intention.

UNI