CHANDIGARH February 8: The Punjab NRI Commission today issued notice to the Government of India, Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs and Government of Punjab on a complaint field by the expatriate Indian workers regarding the non-payment of salary by the Nigerian based Delta Steel Company for last eleven months. The NRI Commission has asked them to submit affidavits till March 21, 2012.
The full bench of NRI Commission comprising Chairperson Justice Arvind Kumar (Retd.), Members VK Bhawra and Jagtar Singh today issued notice on a complaint by Preeti Rajwanshi which alleged that complainants father Sh. Naveen Kumar Rajvanshi and 117 other persons had been employed by M/s Global Steel Holding Ltd. In India and posted to work in Delta Steel Company located in Warry in Nigeria in the year 2005. The complaint is annexed with another complaint made by the said 117 India expatriate staff of said Delta Steel Company Nigeria . The Complaint had been made to NRI Sabha, Jalandhar (Punjab) who has sent to Commissioner NRI Affairs Punjab who in return has forwarded it to this Commission for necessary disposal.
The grievance is that the said employees have not been paid their salary for the last one year and have been living in pitiable and miserable conditions; that they hardly get any food, water, electricity. She said that there is no provision of medical facilities to such employees and not possible for them to return back to India in the absence of payment of their salary and other dues. She alleged that they have been kept as bonded labour by the company and there is serious danger to their life and liberty. It has further been alleged that Mr. PK Mittal, the Chairman of the Company (brother of Steel Tycoon, Mr. LN Mittal), has turned a deaf ear to their grievances and rather is concentrating on his three companies in India i.e. Gontermann Peipers ( India ); Balasore Alloys and PSSPL. It has further been alleged that the various representations already made to the Government of India and the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs in this regard had not yielded and result.
After having given thoughtful consideration to the allegations contained in the complaint and the documents annexed therewith. The Commission, prima-facie finds that apart from the disputes of the employees with the company in respect of non-payments of their salary/wages, there is utter violation of the legal as also human rights of such employees. The Commission noticed from various news and a common practice that innocent people from India are sent abroad on false promises of providing Jobs there and after reaching abroad they felt cheated.
On receipt of a complaint of the present nature, containing serious allegations, The commission cannot remain as a mute spectator, particularly, when the issue is of public importance and despite having represented the authorities concerned, there is no redressal to the grievances of complainants. Still further, the manner in which the employees, who are none else but Indian Citizens and fall within the definition prescribed under Section2(f)(i),(ii) and (iii) of the Punjab State Commission for Non Resident Indians Act, 2011 and are being dealt with by an Indian Company abroad, is most unfortunate and requires to be seriously dealt with. The allegations contained in the complaint are serious ones, thereby jeopardizing the “Right to Life” enshrined by Article 21 of the Constitution of India, to its citizens, which right also includes leading the life in a dignified manner, therefore this Commission takes cognizance of the matter and a notice had also been issued to Delta Steel Company PLC, Warri, Nigeria through Ministry of External Affairs ad counter part companies in India of the said company i.e. Delta Steel Company and its Chairman and Vice President.
