Labours' right denied by corrupt officials, alleges Assn
Source: Hueiyen News Service / Ashem Babycha
Imphal, June 12 2015 :
The CAF and PD Labourers' Welfare Association Sangaiprou demands the formulation of a policy between the principal employer and labourers of the department as practised in FCI Sangaiprou.
Romendrajit Moirangcha secretary general of the Association speaking to the media disclosed that more than 100 labourers are not getting their due payment for the works they have completed.
The handling labourers were engaged for stitching, restacking, weighing of quantity at CAF and PA godown from April 2014 onwards, says Romendrajit.
In a press meet held at the labour rest house of Sangaiprou godown campus, Romendrajit said that CAF and PD Sangaiprou godown is being handed over to RK Fortune developer's private limited and some contractors were selected for a short period of time without proper channel like floating tenders to control an agitation.
Some labourers were removed from their job and the contractors did a lot of misdeeds, alleged Romendrajit.
He also informed that the revised rate for unloading per quintal of food grain adopted after protest by labourers was not given, instead a mere amount Rs 4 per quintal was given to the labourers.
He also alleged that the labourers were subjugated and even the loads they carry were recorded less, pointing out the misdeeds the labourer representative said that a sum of Rs 45 lakhs had been sanctioned for the period between August 2014 to February 2015 as labour fee for loading.
However a labour gets only Rs 15,000 summing up to just Rs 8 Lakhs as a total fee for the labours engaged.
Romendrajit also alleged that the labour fee for stitching, restacking, weighing is not released till today.
He disclosed that if the labour fee is calculated in the earlier rate each labour should get a sum of Rs 50,000 more.
He also alleged that the officials are corrupt and even take a sum of around Rs 15000 to Rs 35,000 while recruiting labour and pointed out that around 3 labours are identified so far by the Association who have paid bribe to work as a labourer in the godown.
Romendrajit also charged that the labourers are denied certain rights in fee hike along with the increase in margin money per quintal from Rs 26 to Rs 100 for handling and transportation since March 2013.With the increase in margin money the rate of rice and sugar were increased and the contractors and officials are benefiting for personal gain depriving the labour of their share in loading rather handling rate, he said.
The Association also appealed to the authority to take up disciplinary action against the corrupt officials and contractors.
They also demanded the State government to come up with a policy between principal employers and labourers for their works like in the case of FCI Sangaiprou so that the labours are not deprived of their rights.
The Association also threatens of intensive agitation by taking help of the civil society organisations, trade unions and public if their demands are not met within the month of June.