Chief Minister Raman Singh made a series of announcements for the welfare of an estimated nine lakh workers working in the unorganised sector on the occasion of International labour Day,on Wednesday in Chhattisgarh.
Addressing a labourers' Convention in the premises of his residence here, Singh began with the announcement of launching a ‘Chief Minister Helmet Protection’ scheme for the labourers as a protection against accidents during construction of buildings.
He said that the State government would distribute free helmets to the labourers in the State.Similarly, Singh stated that the Government would open ‘Chief Minister Worker Waiting Rooms and Dining hall for the workers in all big cities of Chhattisgarh including Raipur.
He said that the waiting rooms and the dining halls would be constructed at a cost of Rs 20 lakh each in every city of the State .‘Raipur would have four such buildings constructed in all four directions of the city’.
This apart, making a major announcement, the Chief Minister stated that the Chhattisgarh government would establish a free ‘helpline’ for helping bonded labourers working in other states of the country.
The scheme is for labourers who are being made to work as bonded labourers by contractors in other states, he said. Singh said that any bonded labourer can call using the helpline number 1800-2332-197 which had been installed in the labour Office of the State government for seeking help.
After receiving the call, the State government officials would reach them for getting them free from the clutches of the contractors, the Chief Minister said.
Singh said that within a matter of 12 years, the way Chhattisgarh has developed, the credit for it goes to the hardworking labourers of the State.
“If today the world is heaping praises for the creation of Naya Raipur and the International Cricket Stadium, it is truely the appreciation of the labourers who built them,” he said.
On the occasion, the Chief Minister gifted a cheque amounting to Rs one lakh as a token of encouragement to a student Akhileshwar Kashyap who stood first in the merit list with 96.60 per cent marks in the 12th Board examination held by Chhattisgarh Higher Secondary Board.
Singh said on the occasion that Akhileshwar who is a son of carpenter Kailash Kashyap and resident of Ganga Nagar in Bilaspur has bought honour for his hard working parents with his achievement.
He appreciated the fact that Kailash took keen interest in education of his son while carrying on with his carpentary profession.
The Chief Minister awarded another daughter of a brick kiln worker Durga Prajapati who has secured 95.60 per cent marks in the merit list of the 12th Standard Board examination by offering a cheque of Rs one lakh.
Singh said that many students of worker families had proved that with will power one can achieve the highest goals of success.
Many think that students who study in Convent schools or taking coaching for the 10th and 12th standard examination in big institutes are only successful but the meritorious children of workers families had proved it all wrong with their hard work, he said.
later, the Chief Minister announced that all students whose name appear in the merit list for the Class 10th and 12th examination would be offered an encouragement amount of Rs one lakh each.
later , Singh also distributed free tools to the workers attending the Convention.
Minister for Agriculture and labour Chandrashekhar Sahu and President of Chhattisagrh Bhavan and Other Construction Worker Welfare Board Mohan Anti addressed the Convention. Present on the occasion were Raipur Municipal Corporation Speaker Sanjay Srivastava, Additional Chief Secretary labour Department Vivek Dand, besides other officials.