CITU for implementation of schemes for construction workers

From Our Special Correspondent

Silchar, March 20: Sodou Asom Nirman Sramik Union, affiliated to CITU, Cachar district committee, on Tuesday brought out a rally which starting from rsingtola ground paraded through the streets of this town and converged before the office of the Deputy Commissioner in support of the various demands of the building and construction workers. Addressing the assembly of workers, Mabendra Paitya, secretary of the Union, said, “We are concerned at the delay in implementation of welfare schemes of the workers and their families are deprived of the benefits due to them.”

Mabendra Paitya cited the glitch that has arisen in receiving education scholarship, monthly pension among other benefits which are sanctioned, but delayed in extending them to the beneficiaries. This has led to mental and physical agonies of pensioners in particular and standing in the way of the continuation of studies of their wards or dependents. This is no doubt a matter of concern which the higher authorities will appreciate. Paitya said the delay is the offshoot of centralized functioning of welfare schemes which reduces pressure on head office of welfare board, but this process has not yet been accepted.

If the implementation of schemes is delayed, it is no better than the oft-repeated saying, ‘justice delayed is justice denied’ and the spirit of this very saying can well be extended in respect of the delay in implementation of welfare schemes for workers in the state of Assam. After the rally and the address, a memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister of Assam was submitted to the Deputy Commissioner of Cachar with four point charter of demands.

These include timely payment of pension every month to the beneficiaries, disbursement of education scholarship to children of the workers on time, decentralization of administrative function for smooth and speedy disposal of benefits and related claims and development of infrastructure for smooth functioning of welfare board. The Chief Minister has been impressed upon to intervene in the matter and issue necessary instructions to the welfare board for streamlining its administrative machinery for expeditious disposal of the benefits of building and construction workers and their families.