Click to play videoNew Delhi: Like every other worker working at metro construction sites, Shamsher too is at risk. He uses a gas-cutter almost everyday but without wearing any safety equipment. However, he isn't complaining, but that could only be because maybe he just doesn't know any better.
"I leave everything to God. Whatever will have to happen will happen," says he.
workers like Shamsher are hardly aware of their rights as daily wage labourers - a fact clearly revealed by an RTI query.
In the last 10 years, more than 69 people have lost their lives in various metro accidents but none of them have received compensation packages as per the Workmans' Compensation Act of 1923.
Supreme Court lawyer, Rajesh Tyagi says, "The payments that the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is making is only ex-gratia payment, which in no way absolves DMRC of its liability."
The DMRC set up a labour welfare fund in 2003, but lawyers say it seems that this was done to evade civil liability.
Almost 20 workers have only received interim relief of Rs 50,000 while others have received ex-gratia payments which are nowhere close to what the actual compensation should be.
Rajesh Tyagi says, "Most of these people are in the age group of 20 to 30 and because they are in their prime, they should get the highest amount of compensation which in any case is above Rs 8 lakh."
Till date, the DMRC has been lauded for completing most projects before stipulated deadlines but statistics show that it needs to do a lot more to uphold the safety and concerns of its employees.
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