Lawfully yours: By Retired Justice K Chandru

Courts unlikely to entertain belated claims for damages

I was working as an accounts officer in a private hospital. After they terminated me on flimsy arguments, I petitioned the labour court and won the case in 1999. After I rejoined, the institution transferred and demoted me as an accountant. Also, the institution went to the High Court against the labour court decision. Unable to withstand pressure and humiliation, I was finally forced to resign. I couldn't fight my case also due to the demise of my lawyer. Though I may have crossed serviceable age, if I had fought the case I would have got compensation at least. Is there any use in restarting the case now as I have no other source of income?— Chinnappan L, Ariyalur

After your resignation, nothing survives. From your narration, it seems to be a pretty old matter, and courts are unlikely to entertain belated claims for compensation. Especially in your case since you have resigned from your position. Courts can give relief only if you have not compromised your case and have sought relief on time.

Unique social insurance cards can help eradicate disparities in issuing doles

Past several years, we have seen the government announcing doles during festivals like Pongal and Deepavali and every time we find some cribbing over it. Should the dole be for all or the downtrodden? Here, those who can afford can be seen queuing up while at least some of those who can’t meet both ends meet are left out for want of relevant documents. Don’t the poor deserve special ID cards so that they do not miss out on such doles? How best can the government handle such situations so that certain sections of people do not get offended? Is law helpless in these matters, leaving things to be decided according to the whims and fancies of the ruling dispensation?— Ramarajan, Coimbatore

Every welfare scheme is conceived keeping its beneficiaries in mind and to that extent necessary paperwork is done by the government. However, people who do not fall within the norms will always raise their voices and make complaints. We also have certain criteria for the identification of the beneficiaries. But in a country like ours, to create a foolproof system to eliminate the uncovered or those who make bogus claims is very difficult. In the West, they have one social insurance number for claiming doles. Only now the government has announced an Aadhaar-based payment under the Rural Employment Guarantee scheme. Like that, we may move towards common ID cards with relatively foolproof mechanisms.