Dehra Dun: The government proposes to amend
the contract labourer act to ensure that there is no
discrimination against employees working on same post and
under similar conditions in terms of wages and facilities.
Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment Harish
Rawat said a bill in this regard was likely to be introduced
in the budget session of Parliament next year.
He told reporters that the purpose behind amending the
Contract Labourer Regulation and Abolition Act was to improve
the lives of such workers, mostly employed in the unorganised
sector.
"A homework in this regard has already been completed by
eliciting views of state governments and consulting social
partners and other stake holders," Rawat said.
The amendment will seek to ensure that the responsibility
of welfare of employees rests on the principal employer only,
he said.
Rawat also said his ministry was planning to fix a
statutory floor level for payment of minimum wages in the
country.
Alleging that Uttarakhand government was using central
funds given as relief in the wake of natural disasters as
"BJP assistance funds", he demanded setting up of all-party
monitoring committees at district level.
"The Centre has provided Rs 672 crore to the state for
relief work in affected areas. But the state government is
using the funds in other areas as per the convenience of BJP
leaders as if it was BJP assistance fund. Even DMs are being
influenced for the purpose," Rawat alleged.
Refuting allegations of discrimination by the Centre
against the BJP-ruled state government, he said the fact is
Uttarakhand has failed to utilise the funds.
The Union minister said the Centre is ready to give funds
to the state but their timely and proper utilisation is the
duty of the state government.
In this regard, Rawat said the state government has so far
failed to send proposals regarding land required for
rehabilitation of villages, badly affected by the recent
natural disasters.
Rawat described Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank as
"rollback minister" for revoking a number of decisions like
allotment of mini-hydel projects, allowing a housing project
on industrial land in Rishikesh and making the knowledge of
local dialects mandatory for recruitment in class III posts.
PTI
