Model Citizen: Working for labourers of unorganised sector

He is a retired government servant and resident of Pallavaram. “The workers of the unorganised sector are largely exploited due to lack of awareness about their legal rights and entitlements. 

I help them to obtain an identity card from the Labour Department so that they are entitled to various government welfare schemes. With these IDs, they manage to get Aadhaar cards, open savings bank accounts, etc.,” he said. They are also entitled to receive free spectacles upon completion of 58 years, Rs 2,000 for funeral and compensations for differently-abled using this welfare card, he added. 

Meenakshi Sundaram has helped more than 300 persons to register under the government pension scheme in the last year alone. “They are primarily working as house helps, daily wage laborers and small-scale industries,” he noted. Retired from the State Transport Department, he said, “I help auto drivers when they are entangled in legal disputes. They struggle to find a space at auto stands due to various problems. 

They are usually harassed by policemen or autorickshaw owners as many drivers would have completed only their primary education. The government is also not helping them adequately.” Besides, he has given a decent burial to more than 100 stray dogs over the years. “I strongly believe that they, too, deserve dignity after death. 

I am also working with other local NGOs for various causes. I worked with a trust in Porur and planted 2,000 palm saplings in and around the lakes of Padappai and Porur, I am passionate about working for social causes after drawing an inspiration from social activist V Santhanam. My team helps me to strive continuously for the betterment of society.”