Question : REGULARISATION OF FCI WORKERS

(a) whether actions have been taken by the FCI for the regularisation/departmentalisation of the headload workers and ancillary workers as part of the establishment of contract labour;

(b) if so, the details thereof including the number of HLW and ancillary workers covered under DPS at present, State-wise;

(c) whether petitions/memorandum have been received from the member of Parliament or from Trade Unions in Kerala regarding the issues/problems faced by the headload workers; and

(d) if so, the action taken by the Government thereon?

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION ( SHRI V. SREENIVASA PRASAD )

(a): Consequent upon the decision for abolition of Contract Labour System in some depots of the Food Corporation of India (FCI), the labourers have been regularized under Direct Payment System strictly as per the requirements of the Food Corporation of India, from time to time.

(b): At present, about 24943 Handling Labourers and about 7923 Ancillary Labourers are working under Direct Payment System in the depots of the FCI throughout the country. (Details as per Annexure).

(c): Yes, Sir. Petitions/Memoranda have been received from Hon`ble MPs/Trade Unions in Kerala for regularization of ex-contractor`s workers instead of utilization of surplus DPS labourers, in the notified depots of West Hill (Calicut), Mavelikara and Challakudy in Kerala Region.

(d): Action has been taken by the Management of the Food Corporation of India as per Government`s decision for implementation of the Notification of the Ministry of Labour dated 12.11.2001, that the FCI should normally utilize the existing surplus labour in the Region instead of regularising the contract labourers in the notified depots of West Hill (Calicut), Mavelikara and Challakudy in Kerala Region. This decision has been taken keeping in view the judgement dated 30.08.2001 of the Hon`ble Supreme Court in case of SAIL etc. that the contract labourers do not have the right for automatic regularization in the establishment despite issuance of Notification by the appropriate Government for prohibition of employment of contract labour.

ANNEXURE

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (b) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.697 DUE FOR ANSWER IN THE LOK SABHA ON 05.12.2003.

STATE-WISE NO. OF HEAD LOAD WORKERS (HLW) AND ANCILLARY WORKERS (AW) UNDER DIRECT PAYMENT SYSTEM IN THE FCI.

Name of State / Region	Number of Workers
Head Loan Workers	Ancillary Workers
Delhi	164	107
Jammu & Kashmir	551 68
Punjab	11336	3113
Uttar Pradesh	2051	710
Uttaranchal	263	112
Andhra Pradesh	2419	721
Kerala	1924	687
Karnataka	519	182
Tamil Nadu	1191	596
Gujarat	67	50
Maharashtra	385	207
Madhya Pradesh	517	219
Chhatisgarh (Raipur)	594	335
Bihar	117	29
Jharkhand (Ranchi)	129	34
Orissa	400	179
West Bengal	1517	427
Assam	753	427
N.E.F.	46	0
Total	24943	7923