Revive the welfare boards

CHENNAI: Construction workers on Tuesday urged Chief Minister J Jayalalitha to revive the powers of welfare boards that were diluted during the DMK regime.Addressing a press conference, V Ranganathan, general secretary of the Federation of All India Construction Workers and Unorganised Labour Association, said that powers of the welfare boards had been diluted by enacting Government Orders (GO) during the DMK regime, which gave more powers to the village administrative officer.The GO providing power to the village administrative officer in day-to-day functioning of the board had resulted in curbing its independence, he said.Without making any amendment to the Tamil Nadu Manual Workers Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Work Act, 1982, and the Tamil Nadu Construction Workers Welfare Board, 1994, they had diluted membership rights, said RMS Chittibaburaj, the treasurer of the organisation.The federation sought that accident deaths other than at the workplace, which have not been compensated for from 2006, should be paid. The federation also sought pension and insurance facilities for workers who died 10 or 20 days before attaining 60 years. They urged the government to provide aid to the families of the deceased workers by accepting just the voter identity card or some address proof.They also sought education loans for the children of construction workers besides aid for children pursuing B Ed, MPhil and BSc nursing.