Madurai
Tamil Nadu Construction Workers Welfare Board Chairman Pon Kumar said that efforts would be made to fasten the board's functioning, at a meeting held with the worker’s unions in the district, at the Collectorate here on Saturday.
He said that Tamil Nadu had always been a leader when it came to addressing the problems faced by labourers in the unorganised sector and it was sad to see the welfare board being dysfunctional during the AIADMK regime.
“After I took over as the board’s chairman in June, 50,000 pending grievances from the construction workers, with regards to welfare scheme distribution and registration, were cleared across the State. To help clear the backlog from the past 5-6 years at a faster pace, 180 computer assistants and junior assistants would be hired across the State,” he added.
After having discussions with the workers’ unions, he assured that steps would be taken to ease the difficulties that arise between VAOs and the unions, in the process of worker’s registration with the board. Since many unregistered workers lose out on the monetary benefits that are provided to labourers via welfare schemes, measures to legalise compulsory registration with the board would also be undertaken. The board planned to give away houses for at least 25,000 construction workers across the State this year, he said.
He also alleged that funds to the tune of some crores allotted to the board were used by the previous AIADMK government to implement schemes that were unrelated to the board.