Plea in HC to appoint officer to monitor workers' safety

Madurai: A public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed before the Madras high court seeking to appoint a district-level officer to monitor the safety and welfare of cleanliness workers who are involved in Covid-19 prevention work. D Sulif, president of the Louie Sanitary Workers Welfare Association based at Kanyakumari district, in his petition stated more than 1,000 members in his association are working as cleanliness workers in local bodies at Kanyakumari, Tuticorin and Tirunelveli districts.

Though the workers are involved in Covid-19 prevention work by risking their lives for the welfare of the general public, they are not provided any safety gears such as masks, gloves and sanitizers. They are also not subjected to testing or medical checks.

Since several frontline workers such as doctors, nurses and health department officials have tested positive for Covid-19, he sent a representation to the government to provide safety gears and subject the workers to medical checkup. However, no steps were taken in this regard. So, the petitioner moved the high court Madurai bench. When the case was taken up on Friday, a division bench of justices P N Prakash and B Pugalendhi tagged this petition along with a similar petition which sought to provide PPE kits to non-medical frontline workers.