Finally, sugarcane cutters in Pune get identity cards, as DLSA tackles red tapism
Nearly three years after the Maharashtra government initiated a program to provide identity cards to the sugarcane cutters, not a single among them from Pune district had received it, until the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), Pune, intervened, recently.
DSLA tackled red tapism and finally the identity cards of 561 sugarcane cutters working with different sugar factories in Pune district were prepared. Of them, 55 sugarcane cutters were given their identity cards last month, ceremoniously, in presence of Principal Districts and Sessions Judge Mahendra Mahajan in Pune.
As per a DLSA press release, at the ceremony held on April 23, Mahajan said, 'Sugarcane cutters are the backbone of Maharashtra's agrarian economy, yet their identity often goes unrecognised. Through this initiative, we not only provide them with an identity card—we acknowledge their dignity, contribution, and right to access justice and welfare. The judiciary must extend beyond courtrooms to where justice is truly needed.'
Meanwhile, over five thousand sugarcane cutters in Pune itself are yet to get their identity cards. It was in 2021 that the Maharashtra government initiated a program to maintain records of sugarcane cutters and provide them identity cards, which would give them access to various government schemes related to health, education, hostel facilities for children, financial assistance and life insurance of Rs 5 lakh.
In April 2022, the 'Loknete Gopinath Munde Sugarcane Workers Welfare Corporation' was inaugurated. It aimed to offer welfare and social security schemes to the few lakh sugarcane cutters in Maharashtra, which included providing identity cards.
According to Sonal Patil, Secretary, DLSA, Pune, when they started awareness programmes for sugarcane cutters at the Sugar Factories in Pune district last year, it was learnt that none of them had received identity cards. 'Due to lack of education and awareness, many of the sugarcane cutters living in harsh conditions, were not even aware of the identity cards and its benefits,' said Patil.
She added, 'After awareness sessions, we received 5,132 applications from sugarcane cutters, who worked in Pune based sugar factories, but a majority of them were natives of other districts. As per a government ruling, the local Gram Sevaks were supposed to provide identity cards to the sugarcane cutters who have worked at any Sugar factory for three continuous years.'
Patil said the Gram Sevaks were initially reluctant in doing their job, so the DLSA decided to report to their senior authorities and also communicated with the Loknete Gopinath Munde Sugarcane Workers Welfare Corporation for assistance.
'We helped the sugarcane cutters in compiling their documents, getting three years work experience letters from Sugar Factories. Then, after a consistent outreach and cooperation with government departments, the process of preparing and issuing the identity cards to the sugarcane cutters started. We hope it continues and all sugarcane cutters in the district get identity cards to support their legal and social inclusion,' said Patil.
When contacted, Gorakh Chavan, from the Kasabkheda village in Nashik district, said, 'I worked at the Shri Vighnahar Co-operative Sugar Factory in Junnar Taluka of Pune district. I am glad to receive my identity card…. I have two children. I hope the identity card helps me and my family for a better future'
However, another sugarcane cutter Ulhas Rathod from Jalna, said he too worked with a sugar factory in Pune, but has not received his identity card yet. A DLSA official said of the 561 identity cards, 55 have been issued directly to the sugarcane cutters. While the remaining, including that of Ulhas Rathod, have been handed over to their factories.
A sugar factory official from Pune said they would give these identity cards to the sugarcane cutters, who have now gone back to their native places after the end of the sugarcane crushing season in March.
Chandan Haygunde is an assistant editor with The Indian Express with 15 + years of experience in covering issues related to Crime, Courts, National Security and Human Rights. He has been associated with The Indian Express since 2007.
Chandan has done investigative reporting on incidents of terrorism, left wing extremism, espionage cases, wildlife crimes, narcotics racket, cyber crimes and sensational murder cases in Pune and other parts of Maharashtra.
While working on the 'Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) Fellowship on Tigers, Tiger Habitats and Conservation' in 2012, he reported extensively on the illegal activities in the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra. He has done in-depth reporting on the cases related to the Koregaon Bhima violence in Pune and hearings of the 'Koregaon Bhima Commission of Inquiry'. ... Read More
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