The Supreme Court on Wednesday extended its hand of succour to families of hundreds of porters serving the Indian Army along inhospitable border areas.
With no ex-gratia scheme yet for these porters, who have been carrying loads of supplies for Army along treacherous paths for over a decade and some even for 22 years, the Bench of Justices Dipak Misra and PC Pant told the Centre and the Indian Army to consider framing a scheme for them that will insure them and their families in case of death or disability.
While hearing a set of appeals filed by porters, the Bench was informed by the Centre that an ex-gratia scheme had been framed under which `50,000 will be given to porters who served for over a decade. This payment was meant to be one-time and was devised after the apex court on May 14, 2013 ordered the Centre to compassionately consider the case of porters for regularisation.
Appearing for the Centre, advocate R Balasubramaniam informed the court that regularisation was not possible as porters are seasonally engaged on daily wage basis. Rosters are maintained while engaging them by the Army, he said, adding that any attempt to regularise them will have repercussions on other Army Commands and Ministries engaging similar persons on temporary basis.
Senior advocate Bhim Singh, who appeared for porters, argued that the Centre failed to consider the plight of the porters, who are from border villages and have no social security in the event of death or severe disability.
The Bench told the Centre that its ex-gratia scheme should contain provision of grant of compensation to families of the porters who died or are injured doing these kinds of jobs. “The concerned authority shall speak with Chief of Army Staff to work out the modalities so that they (porters) are ready to take up such kind of risky jobs working in proximity of line of Control.”