Other States - Orissa   

Workers demand identity cards

BHUBANESWAR: Workers engaged in construction activities have demanded identity cards for their protection from being exploitation as well as coverage under social welfare schemes.

Hundreds of workers including carpenter, painter, plumbers and daily labourers held demonstration recently demanding that 2 per cent cess from construction industries should be diverted towards welfare of the lowest-rung workers.

Under the banner of Pragatisila Shramika Manch (PSM), these workers described how they had been under difficult conditions without any reward. “While construction firms are reaping unimaginable profits, the workers are left in lurch. They certainly need a better deal,” PSM State General Secretary Rakhakar said.

A delegation of PSM met Labour Minister Pradipta Nayak and sought his intervention in collection of one per cent cess, which was made mandatory about a decade ago. “If the provision of cess collection is not implemented immediately, the workers would launch massive agitation across the state,” the PSM leader said.

At least Rs. 100 crore should be earmarked as corpus fund for implementation of welfare programmes for these workers, Mr. Rakhakar said.

The demonstration was addressed by former judge Choudhury Pratap Keshari Mishra, former legislator Radhakanta Sethi, Gopinath Barik and social activist Prafulla Samantara.

They demanded that labour unions be involved in identification of deserving labourers.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Concern over rights of forest dwellers
Workers demand identity cards
Health services in ‘severe crisis’
Number of undertrial prisoners on the rise in Berhampur
Long wait for the ‘promised’ land
Two shot dead, one injured
Locals block road
Naveen criticised
Five killed in accident
Actor dons new avatar
Towards promoting Oriya
‘Gramshree Mela’ from April 5

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu