Directive to insurance Co on women staff

The Madras High Court on Saturday directed Chairman of National Insurance Company to implement the circular issued by the Centre directing insurance companies to post/transfer women employees to the place where their husband/parents are living.

Justice D Hariparanthaman gave the direction on a petition by V Ponnusamy, General Secretary of the All India SC/ST General Insurance Employees Welfare Association. The circular had stated that if women employees faced genuine hardship and develop a feeling of insecurity, then they should be accommodated at a place where her husband is stationed or near to that place. 

If the employee is unmarried, then she should be accommodated as far as possible at a place where her parents are stationed or the nearest place where they are. The government had advised the insurance companies to frame a policy on the matter with the approval of their boards suitably incorporating the guidelines and to take immediate action for implementation.

Ponnusamy submitted that though the circular was issued on September 23, 2014, no action had been taken by the Chairman of the National Insurance Company so far. 

The norms and directives of the Central government had not been complied with even after he gave a representation to the Chairman based on the circular, he submitted. 

Madras High Court on Saturday confirmed the order of Tamil Nadu Human Rights Commission directing a woman Sub Inspector to pay a compensation of Rs 15,000 to a employee of the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board for attacking her after illegally detaining her for four days.

Justices V Ramasubramanian and N Kirubakaran said there was nothing to interfere with the order of the Human Rights Commission and directed the government to pay the compensation and deduct it from the salary of the Sub Inspector Shobana of Tallakulam Police Station in Madurai. 

The employee Baaluthai, working as meter reader, was arrested in connection with the theft of a baby at the Government Rajaji Hospital here on April 27, 2003. She was detained for four days at the police station and brutally attacked by Shobana. 

Following a complaint from Baaluthai, the Human Rights Commission directed the Government to pay compensation for illegally detaining and attacking her.