The Supreme Court on Tuesday quashed the order of the industrial tribunal, Bhubaneswar, directing the management of the Dandakaranya project to absorb its casual workers though the project itself is in the process of being wound up.
The division bench consisting of Justice S C Agrawal and Justice G B Pattanaik stated that the Orissa High Court committed an error in not setting aside the tribunal order when the management appealed against it.
The workers were on the pay rolls for several years without work following an interim order of the apex court.
The management was spending Rs 1.5 lakh every month on them, which the Supreme Court described as an unnecessary strain on the public exchequer.
The court had earlier asked the management and the Union government to draw up a viable rehabilitation plan for the workers. After some years, they stated before the court that they were unable to absorb the workers on a regular basis in any department of the government or PSU. The workers, mostly refugees from former east Pakistan, were employed in the 50s and are now too old to begin work any fresh employment.
The present order shuts all job avenues for them.
