’Appointment letter may not get jobs for displaced’

’Appointment letter may not get jobs for displaced’

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, April 11: Will advance letters of appointment to Project Displaced families (PDFs) by companies which will set up their units in Mangalore Special Economic Zone (MSEZ), offer succour to the displaced who have lost lands for the project?

Highly unlikely, says noted criminal lawyer Padma Prasad Hedge. He says that such letters of assurance of employment cannot be enforced in a court of law. "The company may not set up its unit. Or it may refuse the job saying the candidate does not fit the job profile. The best bet is to have a proper agreement made on a stamp paper between the company and the displaced, clearly specifying what remedies will be provided in case the employment cannot be given," Hegde said.

 

A fortnight ago, the meeting called to address the employment issue of students belonging SEZ PDFs had given the displaced students some options major of them were that MSEZ and companies will be asked to furnish the advance appointment letters in companies which have already been given land and open a trust which will give a minimum of Rs 10,000 as allowance/ salary per month, till such time they get the employment. The companies sought three weeks’ time to arrive at a decision on these two points, but the displaced gave MSEZ two weeks. The deadline ends on Sunday.

Kiran, who lead the students in the protest against MSEZ, said that whatever written assurances given by the companies will be properly scrutinized and seen whether it would stand scrutiny of the law. "We will not accept mere letters of appointment on letter heads," he added.

According to the discussion held two weeks ago, MRPL which has been given 268 acres should absorb 183 candidates. OMPL, which is yet to come up and has been given 442 acres is expected to provide employment to 302 displaced and ISPRL to 58 persons. Others have to be provided employment by MSEZ through companies which set up industries in the SEZ. For the SEZ, a total of 2,317 acres of land was acquired and 1,661 families were displaced. Of them, 598 families took money in lieu of employment which leaves 1,063 candidates who are employable directly or through training.TOI