Building and construction workers are exploited, says Nagaland board chairman

Our Correspondent
Kohima, July 22 (EMN): Building and other construction workers are among the most exploited as their job is temporary and seasonal with health risk, said Dr. Kekhrie Yhome, Chairman of Nagaland Building and Other Construction Welfare Board (NBOCWWB).

Addressing a consultative meeting with building and construction unions at Hotel De Oriental Grand, Kohima, on Friday, Yhome pointed out that building and other construction workers are vulnerable as they keep shifting from one place to another depending on the availability of work while being exposed to risk that can permanently handicapped them or in certain cases, cause fatality.

Considering the risk involved, the board provides relief to the workers, he said, adding that it was constituted under an Act of parliament to provide welfare social security schemes to the building and construction workers through collection of cess.

He informed that there are 1283 recognised villages, including three recently recognized villages under Bhandari sub-divisions and several unrecognised villages in the state, and there construction workers in every village. He added that board has been sensitising and creating awareness to the people to avail the facilities.

34000 inactive members

Yhome informed that there are about 12500 active beneficiary members in the state at present and about 34,000 inactive members, while pointing out that many render inactive again after failing to renew membership. In this regard, he said the board is working on a system for the beneficiaries to enable them to remain active members and avail one time pension in the future.

He added that the beneficiaries were provided with the assistance through direct benefit transfer (DBT).

The chairman expressed regret over the board not being able to identify the active members who are supposedly avail benefits like a scholarship of INR 500 per child for two children of the workers, owing to shortage of manpower in the Labour department because of which verification could not be done properly in the past.

However, he informed that the board is proposing to streamline through a massive exercise with the support of the construction union, contractors, public and the administration to ensure that the genuine persons avail the facilities.

Pointing out that there is no check and balance but witnessing influx of immigrants for construction works due to major developmental works, Yhome mooted the idea of framing a state policy for the workers, providing opportunity to the locals once skilled persons are registered and proper data is being maintained to negotiate with the companies executing works in the state.

He also laid emphasis on the need for skill education and training to meet the needs of the emerging technologies as well as job profiling and availability in the state to meet the demand and fill the void. He went on to moot the idea of engaging the Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLE) – Common Service Centres (CSCs) for registering and re-registering the workers.

Meanwhile, Abel P. Shohe, Secretary of the Nagaland Govt. Registered Class-1 Contractors Union (NGRC-1 CU), assured to extend utmost support to enable the society to benefit. He also stressed on the need to streamline the skilled and unskilled labourers for providing service and delivery.

The meeting was chaired by T Chubayanger, CEO of NBOCWWB.