‘Allow companies to issue identity cards for workers in essential services’

As the process of getting identity cards for employees of companies termed as essential services from the Police and the District Supply Offices, is difficult, companies must be allowed to issue these identity cards, said Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce and Industry senior president S. Rethinavelu.

Speaking to The Hindu , he said that employees from various sectors, including rice mills, were being stopped on their way to work by the Police. “The Tamil Nadu government has made provisions to ensure that employees in industries considered as 'essential services', should be allowed to get to their workplace to ensure smooth functioning during the lockdown. With permission becoming increasingly difficult to procure, it creates a sense of inspector raj,” he said.

In a letter to Principal Secretary of Agriculture, Gagandeep Singh Bedi, Mr. Rethinavelu said that companies must be allowed to issue these identity cards furnishing details of the establishment’s Goods and Service Tax identification number or its Food Safety and Standards Authority of India number. Alongside this, the employee’s Aadhaar card number and picture can be displayed too, he said.

The list of employees belonging to each of these companies can be forwarded to the district-level labour department via email. Officials can choose to verify all these employees eventually, he added.