After 42 years wait for govt job, man moves court for pension!

C Shivakumar

Chennai:

After 42 years of wait for a job after registering his name in the employment exchange, E Rajendiran of Thiruverkadu has now approached the High Court seeking Rs 5 lakhs as compensation and Rs 3000 as old age pension.

A fifth standard drop-out, Rajendiran has been renewing the registration in the employment exchange in Tiruvallur for the last 42 years but he never got employment and not even given one call for attending the interview.

The 65-year-old dalit have lost hope in getting a government job and now wanted the state government to sanction him compensation worth Rs 5 lakh besides monthly pension of Rs 3,000.

Hearing the petition, Justice K K Sashidharan in his order stated that the district employment exchange by renewing the registration has given a hope to the petitioner that he is eligible for appointment. Rajendiran has registered his name in 1971 in the employment exchange. The last renewal of registration was done on November 23, 2011 and he was directed to renew the registration on November 2014.

“The issue raised by the petitioner regarding payment of pension to unemployed persons like him, who was denied even an opportunity to appear for interview, should be seriously considered by the government,” the judge observed.

Although the government pleader has informed there is no such scheme in Tamil Nadu, it is high time the government takes a decision taking into account the plight of poor people, who have registered their names on rolls of employment exchange.

“There is no point in telling a person who is having no means of livelihood that he is given various rights under the constitution including preambular promise that the state shall strive to promote the welfare of people by securing and protecting as effectively as it may a social order in which justice, social, economic and political shall inform all the institutions of national life,” the judge observed.

Stating that the petitioner has not given a representation to the state before filing writ petition, the judge observed that state being the guardian of people must be given an opportunity to look into the problem.

The judge said that the petitioner is given liberty to submit a comprehensive representation before the state government indicating his claim for compensation and pension.

“In case, any such representation is given within a period of two months from today, the same shall be completed within a period and disposed of by the state taking into account the plight of the petitioner. Such exercise shall be completed within a period of four months from the date of receipt of representation,” the judge ordered.