Board responsible for workers not getting facilities: K. Somashekhar

The State President of All India United Trade Union Centre (AIUTUC) K. Somashekhar has said that because of the rampant corruption and unilateral decisions of the Karnataka Building & Other Construction Workers Welfare Board (KBOCWWB), construction workers were being deprived of benefits of the government schemes.

The State President of All India United Trade Union Centre (AIUTUC) K. Somashekhar has said that because of the rampant corruption and unilateral decisions of the Karnataka Building & Other Construction Workers Welfare Board (KBOCWWB), construction workers were being deprived of benefits of the government schemes.

He was inaugurating a State-level conference of building and other construction workers organised by ‘Karnataka Rajya Samyukta Kattada Karmikara Sangha’ (Association of Construction workers) in Dharwad on Tuesday.

Mr. Somashekhar said that because of the continued agitations by the workers, the State government was forced to promulgate a law for the welfare of the workers and set up Karnataka Building & Other Construction Workers Welfare Board (KBOCWWB). “Initially, several good programmes were implemented by the welfare board and the workers received healthcare facilities, financial assistance for marriage and education of children apart from other facilities. However, in the subsequent days because of corruption and unilateral decisions of the board, the workers found it difficult to get the benefits of the schemes, “he said.

He alleged that there was rampant corruption in the schemes being implemented by the board and already several scams had come to light. There was rampant corruption in distribution of costly laptops and poor quality kits. As the scholarship amount of the workers’ children had been reduced by 60 to 80%, those pursuing higher education were being forced to quit institutions, he alleged.

Mr. Somashekhar gave a call for a united fight to force the government to rectify the system and also prevail upon the government to stop patronising capitalists at the cost of the workers.

AIUTUC State secretary Somashekhar Yadagiri said that because of anti-poor, anti-worker policies of successive governments, the life of the working class had worsened over the years. Only a united fight would provide solutions to the problems of the construction workers, he said.

The State president of the Kattada Karmikara Sangha Shanmugam P.S. hoped that the conference would further strengthen the organisation and help in chalking out plans for strong movement. State Secretary of the Sangha A. Devadas presided over the conference. State committee member of the Sangha Gangadhar Badiger briefed about the conference objectives.