Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi president Thol Thirumavalavan on Friday urged the State Government to file a murder charge against an employer who hired four workers to clean the septic tank which resulted in their death due to asphyxiation in Chekkarakudi in Thoothukudi district on Thursday.
In a statement, Mr. Thirumavalavan said manual scavenging was banned in 2014 by the Supreme Court and, in case of unavoidable circumstance, the workers should be given appropriate protective gears such as the mask, gloves, protective belt along with an ambulance.
“No State government is respecting the Supreme Court judgement in this regard. They are continuing to employ human beings instead using machines because it is inexpensive. When such deaths occur, the one who hired them to do this work should be arrested under a murder,” said Mr. Thirumavalavan.
He further said that families of the victims should be given a compensation of Rs. 50 lakh and that the Supreme Court mandated compensation of Rs. 10 lakh is not enough during the time of COVID-19 pandemic.
Mr. Thirumvalavan said that the Tamil Nadu government should immediately purchase machines to perform these tasks in Town Panchayats, Municipalities and Corporations. “State Government must ensure that such deaths do not occur,” he said.
You have reached your limit for free articles this month.
To get full access, please subscribe.
Already have an account ? Sign in
Show Less Plan
Subscription Benefits Include
Today's Paper
Find mobile-friendly version of articles from the day's newspaper in one easy-to-read list.
Faster pages
Move smoothly between articles as our pages load instantly.
Unlimited Access
Enjoy reading as many articles as you wish without any limitations.
Dashboard
A one-stop-shop for seeing the latest updates, and managing your preferences.
Personalised recommendations
A select list of articles that match your interests and tastes.
Briefing
We brief you on the latest and most important developments, three times a day.
*Our Digital Subscription plans do not currently include the e-paper ,crossword, iPhone, iPad mobile applications and print. Our plans enhance your reading experience.
A letter from the Editor
Dear subscriber,
Thank you!
Your support for our journalism is invaluable. It’s a support for truth and fairness in journalism. It has helped us keep apace with events and happenings.
The Hindu has always stood for journalism that is in the public interest. At this difficult time, it becomes even more important that we have access to information that has a bearing on our health and well-being, our lives, and livelihoods. As a subscriber, you are not only a beneficiary of our work but also its enabler.
We also reiterate here the promise that our team of reporters, copy editors, fact-checkers, designers, and photographers will deliver quality journalism that stays away from vested interest and political propaganda.
Suresh Nambath