Monday, June 17, 2013

Benefits elude construction workers in Kalahandi

The New Indian Express (Bhubaneswar), June 17, 2013
17th June 2013 11:34 AM
Most of the construction workers in Kalahandi are not getting benefits of various welfare schemes of the Government because of slow registration process by the labour office here.
The labour office neither has adequate staff nor a regular District Labour Officer. As per the record of the labour office, since 2009-10, only 10,770 workers have been registered which is around five per cent of the total workers engaged in construction works in the district.
Moreover, the district does not have a regular Labour Officer. The Assistant Labour Officer of Dharamgarh is working as in-charge Labour Officer of Bhawanipatna and there is only one clerk to assist him.
Official sources said as the Assistant Labour Officer has to manage two offices, he is not always available at the Bhawanipatna office. Workers returning without getting their names registered at the labour office is a regular affair. Besides new registrations, disbursement of benefits to the registered workers is also poor. So far, only 200 workers have been provided cycles and tools, they added.
The registered workers are entitled to accidental death benefits and normal death benefit to the legal heir of the worker, Rs1000 worth of items like glove, helmet and shoe after one year of registration, financial assistance to purchase cycle after three years, working tools worth Rs 4000 after two years, Rs 80,000 assistance for house building after five years, health assistance in case of major diseases and education stipend to their children.
In this context, executive committee member of Akhil Bharatiya Construction Majdoor Mahasangh Biranchi Panda said, “Due to absence of a regular District Labour Officer, the benefits meant for construction workers are not reaching them.”  He said as per the norms, the worker should get registration certificate within 45 days of registration but this is not the case here. In many cases, it takes six months to get the certificate, he added.
Besides, due to lack of awareness among workers about the benefits, most of them are not coming forward to register their names and even registered workers are unable to apply for the benefits, Panda said.
He demanded appointment of a regular District Labour Officer at the earliest to expedite the scheme and render quick relief to workers. He further demanded the Labour Department to launch awareness campaign about registration of the construction workers and benefits meant for them.

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