Haryana to open food canteens for construction sector workers
30 Dec 2016
Chandigarh
HT
Registered workers will have to pay only ₹10 for a meal of about 750 grams
GURGAON: The state government has decided to open food canteens for workers in the construction sector in Gurgaon and five other districts, from January 1. The facility will, however, be available only to workers registered with the labour department.
The canteens – to be called Bhojanalayas – will be set up on the lines of the ‘Amma canteens’ in Chennai.
The canteens – to be called Bhojanalayas – are being set up on the lines of the ‘Amma canteens’ in Chennai, but these are limited in scope.
Registered workers will have to pay only ₹10 for a meal of about 750 grams, said Nayab Singh, Haryana minister of state for labour and employment.
The meal costs between ₹60 and ₹70 in the market, he added.
“The quality and quantity of food in these canteens will be monitored ,” the minister said.
The canteens will be opened under the Antyodaya Aahaar Yojana from January 1, Singh added.
He was presiding over a meeting to discuss several labour related issues in Chandigarh on Wednesday.
He directed the officials to complete all formalities to make these canteens operational in Gurgaon, Yamunanagar, and Faridabad, at the earliest. Similar canteens will be opened in Sonepat, Panipat and Hisar districts as well.
As per rough government estimates, there are about five lakh migrant labourers and workers in Gurgaon, of which nearly half work in the construction sector. An official said the number and venue of the canteens would depend on the number of workers and the location of the construction sites.
“It was a long-pending demand of the labour unions. The government is making this move with half preparations. No venues have been earmarked for opening canteens. It will be helpful if government did it in proper manner” said Rajender Saroha, district convener of Bhawan Nirman Kamgar Union, Gurgaon.
Since construction labour is migrant and often lives in makeshift homes and shanties, the government has also decided to provide toilet facilities to registered labourers at these sites. Singh said this would help make the state open-defecation free and help keep the labourers away from diseases.
He said all registered workers of the state would be linked through their Aadhaar numbers, so that they can avail of timely benefits from all the schemes of the department.
Singh said that the department’s website would be upgraded with information about all department schemes, to help the workers. The department would also hold seminars to spread awareness among labourers working in construction sites, about these schemes. The department has also written letters to all trade unions so that no labourer is left out, he said.
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