Demand of Rs 100 crore from Centre for development of unorganized sector workers

Chhattisgarh Labour Minister Chandrashekhar Sahu attended meeting of Standing Labour Committee in New Delhi

    Chhattisgarh Labour and Agriculture Minister Chandrashekhar Sahu today demanded Rs 100 crore from the Centre, saying the state was not given any fund from Rs one thousand crore allocated for the development of unorganized sector workers. He was addressing the 44th session of Standing Labour Committee organized by National Agriculture Science Centre complex in New Delhi. The session was attended by Union Labour Minister Mallikarjun Kharge, labour ministers of various states and officers of labour department of Centre and states.

    Mentioning that 20 lakh workers in Chhattisgarh were employed in the unorganized sector, Mr. Sahu said the state government was committed towards the multi-dimensional development of workers employed in unorganized sectors and construction workers.  He said that with the help of various welfare schemes, the state was working towards economic and social development of these labourers.  Chhattisgarh is the first state in the country to declare September 17 as Labour Day, he added.

    The meeting also welcomed the suggestions given by Mr. Sahu on minimizing the contract labour system and exploitation of labourers working on contract basis. He suggested that process work, operation and departmental activities of equal nature of various industries should be identified by the Centre accordingly and necessary amendments should be made in the act for restricting it. So that planning of contract workers for work of equal nature should be discouraged.

    Mr. Sahu said it is necessary to bring amendments in various labour acts so that the principal planner should be made responsible for minimum wages of contract workers, agreed wages and social security compensation and due facilities given to them under various labour acts. He said that small and developing states should be given an opportunity for equal representation in international labour conference to be held in Geneva.