The trade unions led by CITU East Godavari Chapter on Saturday demanded the State government to withdraw the abeyance order on the utilization of welfare fund of the AP Building and Other Construction Workers Board (APBOCWW).
In a round table conference attended by the representatives of the trade unions — AITUC, AICCTU, INTUC — in Kakinada on Saturday, a resolution has been passed to intensify the protest against the State government to withdraw the abeyance order (Memo 1412, Dt. Sep.7) issued by the State government and GO. No. 17, that directs the APBOCWW to transfer ₹450 crore to the State government.
CITU East Godavari District General Secretary Ch. Raj Kumar has said; “Putting hold on the utilization of funds available with the APBOCWW will deprive the facility of claiming a range of benefits entitled to the registered workers. This move by the State government is violation of existing welfare acts. The benefits are including financial aid for medical treatment, wedding, risk coverage in the event of accident, natural death and disability”.
“The APBOCWW generates the fund by collecting workers cess from the builders and registration fee paid for registration as building and other construction worker. The fund should not be transferred to the State government as it is meant for the welfare of the registered workers”, said Mr. Raj Kumar.
The Trade Union leaders have claimed that claims made by the eligible workers under various schemes of the APBOCWW to the tune of ₹5 crore have not been settled for nearly 4,000 registered workers for over 18 months in the State. INTUC District President T. Raju, AICCTU District President P.N. Rarasa Raju, CITU District president M. Veera Lakshmi and other trade union leaders were present. A district-level conference will be held at NGO Home on October 20 in Kakinada.
In East Godavari, at least two lakh building and other construction workers have registered with the APBOCWW which came into force in 2009 and nearly three lakh more workers are yet to be registered to claim the benefits being offered by the State and Central governments.
