NLCIL– Engagement of Land Evictees in Contract Jobs

This is with reference to the news item that appeared in some section of esteemed Daily news papers, as if the Hon’ble High Court of Madras has directed NLC India Ltd to engage 50% of land evictees in unskilled vacancies in contract jobs in NLC India Ltd.  In this regard, it is informed that the Hon’ble High Court of Madras has not directed NLCIL to engage 50% of land evictees for unskilled jobs with the contractors as a new avenue based on the plea made by the Petitioner in Writ Petition No.23718 of 2017 as claimed by the Petitioner.  It is for information that NLCIL, as a socially responsible Company towards uplifting of livelihood of eligible category of land displaced persons, has a system of stipulating in all tenders requiring the contractors for various maintenance works to provide job opportunities to the land displaced, atleast a minimum of 50% of vacancies in unskilled jobs subject to their suitability.  Based on this system, various contractors in NLCIL have engaged a large number of land displaced persons based on their suitability to various works being carried out by them in NLCIL.

While so, when a Writ Petition No.23718 of 2017 was filed before the Hon’ble High Court of Madras seeking to quash a tender notification alleging non-inclusion of mandatory clause to continue engaging the existing contract employees who gave up their lands and direct NLCIL to incorporate mandatory clause mandating the contractors to  engage the existing contract employees and persons from land displaced families in terms of certain cited settlements in future tenders, the Management of NLCIL reiterated its stand in the counter by submitting that the prayer made by the Petitioner, as if NLCIL has violated certain settlements and did not include condition for engaging contract workmen from land displaced is not correct and misconceived by citing that NLCIL is already following tendering system by stipulating in the tender conditions that the contractors shall ensure atleast a minimum of 50% of vacancies in unskilled jobs  are filled from the land displaced persons subject to their eligibility and as such prayed for the dismissal of the Writ Petition.

Accordingly, by recording the submissions of NLCIL, the Hon’ble High Court of Madras has disposed of the said Writ Petition asking NLCIL to ensure and monitor the engagement of land displaced persons as per the tender conditions already stipulated.

However, it has been noted that instead of projecting the true picture of what the Hon’ble High Court of Madras ordered at the time of disposal of the said Writ Petition, it has been exaggerated as if the Hon’ble High Court of Madras has given a new direction to the Management of NLCIL to engage 50% of land displaced persons in contract jobs,  which is incorrect and misleading.  It is reiterated that the Hon’ble High Court of Madras while disposing the Writ Petition has not ordered anything new that is not existing/not followed by NLCIL in the past, as NLCIL is already following the norms in respect of engagement of land displaced persons for preferential engagement in work contracts under different contractor employers and a large number of land displaced persons are already in employment with various contractors of NLCIL.  Thus, as result of the said Writ Petition  there is no fresh obligation fastened upon NLCIL as claimed by the Petitioner as if it is an achievement by them.

It is requested that your esteemed daily may kindly publish the above  explanation to bring out the actual position.