CHANDIGARH, JUNE 13: Taking a serious note of the anti-labour resolutions being passed by some Panchayats in the state, the Chairperson of the Punjab State Commission for Scheduled Castes, Smt. Tajinder Kaur (Retd. IAS) has directed the Director, Rural Development and Panchayats Department to get these resolutions scrapped and submit an Action Taken Report with Commission by June 19.
The Commission has also taken strong notice of dictatorial resolution passed by the panchayat of Ghanauri village in which the village Panchayat fixed the rate of paddy sowing at Rs 3800, forcing the village labour to work on the fixed rate and social boycott of those persons, who would violate the resolution.
The Chairperson directed the Deputy Commissioner Sangrur to thoroughly enquire the issue and submit a detailed report before the Commission by June 19 through Sub Divisional Officer (Civil).
The Commission has also sought a detailed report from Deputy Commissioner Sangrur in anti-labour resolution passed by Sarpanch of Gram Panchayat Ghanauri Khurd of Block Sherpur.
Gram Panchayat Ghanori Khurd, has fixed the rate of paddy sowing for village labour at Rs. 3800, forcing the village labor to work at the same rate and ordered that if anyone found violating the resolution.
He/she Will face social boycott order. Commission asked the Deputy Commissioner, Sangrur to look into the matter and submit a detailed report to the commission on June 19, 2020 through the concerned Sub Divisional Officer (Civil).
The Chairperson said that it came to the notice of the Commission that the Sarpanch of Ghanauri village issued a resolution on May 30, 2020 fixing Rs. 3800 for village labour for paddy sowing and the labour would have to work within on this rate.
As per the resolution, the village labour will have to do the labour work of village first and if they opt for labour in other villages then the entire village ban their entry to the fields.
Apart from this it was also mentioned in the resolution that Rs 300 was the rate of daily wage in the village. There will be no evening meal and the labourers will have to bring their utensils from their homes.
The resolution also stipulates that if any resident of the village violates this order, he will be socially boycotted.
The Chairperson said that as per law, the Panchayat has no authority to issue such resolutions/decrees. Such resolutions encourage factionalism in the villages and disrupt the communal harmony, which would not be acceptable.
She stated that it had also come to knowledge of the commission through social media that most of the labourers in the villages belong to the Scheduled Castes.
