Terming workers engaged in Food supply as real force of the Department, Former Minister for Consumer Affairs & Public Distribution Department Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali said that he had initiated a process of giving big relief to workers but administrative hiccups and cool attitude shown by the officers blocked the way of taking the inititave at its conclusion. He appealed Governor NN Vohra to mitigate the problems of the workers who are on strike so that no crises of food is arisen.
The Food and Allied Workers Union (Jammu) has went on strike and are protesting for the early redressal of pending demands. Their main demand is fixation of Price index after every 6 months which has not been fixed after 2012, loading unloading rates at par with FCI labourers, non release of payments for taking medical benefit of ESI card, non deposition of provident fund and timely disbursement of wages besides other issues.
Expressing concern over delay in loading and unloading of food grains by workers , Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali said that such situation may create crises in future if the problems of labour class is not mitigated.He said that the case of these labourers are genuine and he had initiated a process of giving relief to them. He said that labourers are enhancement in grant of Minimum Guarantee Wages at par with FCI norms. He said that under Minimum Guarantee Wages, workers are paid Rs 54 per day, besides Rs 1.33 per quintal of ration, loaded or unloaded which is little to survive these days and keeping this fact into consideration he had processed their file but there were administrative hiccups in it. ‘’I am surprised why some officers wanted to put the issue in cool bags’’, he said adding that these demands of the labourers are genuine and all these need to be redressed at the earliest.
Zulfkar said that it is surprising that labourers are having equal status everwhere but when FCI is giving sufficient wages, CAPD department is depriving them to get even equal wages of FCI. He said that this issue is very genuine and he fully agree this demand of the labourers. He said that there is also need of timely release of wages to these labour class working in the department. He added that when FCi workers are getting wages on due date, CAPD should also release the same in time. He further pitches for depositing of provident fund money for the labourers besides demanding health and hygienic facilities for the labour class working in CAPD department.
Former Minister appealed Governor NN Vohra to mitigate their demands so that process of loading unloading of food grain is started . He said that if the situation remain same, there will be big crises of food in future and people will suffer a lot due to this. He said that when the demands are genuine, there is no need to create administrative hurdles by putting files in cold storages. He requested Governor to expedite the case of these labourers so that loading and unloading process of food grains is restored.Zulfkar has appreciated work of these labourers and lauded them for cooperating the department in past. He said that real force by which CAPD Department supply ration to the consumers are these labourers. He added that all the problems of these labourers must be taken seriously and redressed well in time.