Times of India; Friday, 5 August 2011.
ROHTAK: Failure of Haryana labour department to provide information about non-governmental organizations (NGOs) which have been engaged for registration of building and construction workers has brought the entire registration process under the scanner.
A Rohtak-based RTI activist Subhash, who demanded information about the profile and structure of these NGOs, alleged that most of the organizations had not been registering actual workers as they did not have requisite experience and infrastructure for carrying out the registration work.
The department has been reluctant to part with details of NGOs as that could apparently expose violation of norms in hiring of the NGOs, alleged Subhash, convener of Haryana Soochna Adhikar Manch.
The labour department has decided to register all workers engaged in building and construction work who are said to be in the unorganized sector so that they could avail benefits of welfare schemes including health facilities, provident fund scheme and education facilities for their children.
The department engaged about 19 NGOs across the state about two years back for this work. The workers union, however, alleged these NGOs had failed to reach out to labourers and thus, a large number of workers are still not registered.
Vice-president of Bhawan Nirman Kamgar Union Virender Malik alleged that some of the NGOs even demanded money from workers on account of their registration.
"We have lodged a complaint with the labour commissioner at Chandigarh about the failure of the NGOs in registering the workers and even informed him about how some persons had tried to fleece workers, but the department has failed to take note of our grievances," Malik said.
Subhash said the labour department had so far registered 1,25,890 workers, but it did not provide information regarding NGOs. He said he was told that the files pertaining to details of experience of these NGOs, on whose basis they were given the project, had been destroyed in the fire.
"I suspect that many NGOs are functioning only on paper and do not have resources to carry out the registration work. The workers are suffering on account of their inefficiency," Subhash added.
Meanwhile, on complaint of Subhash, labour commissioner Satvanti Ahlawat has rapped the state public information officer (SPIO), who has been dithering on information sought under RTI Act and has directed him to provide complete information free of cost.
A Rohtak-based RTI activist Subhash, who demanded information about the profile and structure of these NGOs, alleged that most of the organizations had not been registering actual workers as they did not have requisite experience and infrastructure for carrying out the registration work.
The department has been reluctant to part with details of NGOs as that could apparently expose violation of norms in hiring of the NGOs, alleged Subhash, convener of Haryana Soochna Adhikar Manch.
The labour department has decided to register all workers engaged in building and construction work who are said to be in the unorganized sector so that they could avail benefits of welfare schemes including health facilities, provident fund scheme and education facilities for their children.
The department engaged about 19 NGOs across the state about two years back for this work. The workers union, however, alleged these NGOs had failed to reach out to labourers and thus, a large number of workers are still not registered.
Vice-president of Bhawan Nirman Kamgar Union Virender Malik alleged that some of the NGOs even demanded money from workers on account of their registration.
"We have lodged a complaint with the labour commissioner at Chandigarh about the failure of the NGOs in registering the workers and even informed him about how some persons had tried to fleece workers, but the department has failed to take note of our grievances," Malik said.
Subhash said the labour department had so far registered 1,25,890 workers, but it did not provide information regarding NGOs. He said he was told that the files pertaining to details of experience of these NGOs, on whose basis they were given the project, had been destroyed in the fire.
"I suspect that many NGOs are functioning only on paper and do not have resources to carry out the registration work. The workers are suffering on account of their inefficiency," Subhash added.
Meanwhile, on complaint of Subhash, labour commissioner Satvanti Ahlawat has rapped the state public information officer (SPIO), who has been dithering on information sought under RTI Act and has directed him to provide complete information free of cost.
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