NE RLI foundation

By Our Reporter

SHILLONG, JAN 6: Union Minister of State for Labour & Employment Bandaru Dattatreya on Friday laid the foundation stone of a Regional Labour Institute (RLI) for the north eastern states even as he directed the state government to ensure all workers have their bank accounts which will prevent exploitation by the employers.

Set up by the DGFASLI, Ministry of Labour & Employment, the project is estimated at Rs 15 crore and will be constructed at a one acre plot of land provided by the state government at Rynjah.

“The regional labour institute will conduct surveys, make technical clearing, prepare labour data and give necessary working conditions and initiatives,” Dattatreya informed.

Stating that the NE region has lots of vocational workers, he said, “With this, the health condition and occupational safety becomes important as it is going to have a large impact on environment and workers.”

He said so long DGFASLI was supervising its work from Kolkata and now Shillong will have a centre for north eastern state.

Dattatreya informed that NE is full of hydro energy, oil and gas, coal, limestone and other natural resources which have huge potential to transform into industrial hub.

At present there are 8567 registered factories including 133 hazardous factories in the north eastern region employing more than 3 lakh workers.

He informed that the new institute will be a new milestone in strengthening the safety and health movement in the NE part of the country by creating more and more skilled manpower in the area of safety and health.

“The central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modiji is also very keen that all the NE states should be developed faster and special attention should be given to the region,” the minister added.

He was accompanied by Ministry of Labour & Employment Secretary M Sathiyavathy and Additional Secretary Heera Lal Samariya during his visit to the state.

He was of the opinion that the recent demonetisation exercise is going to be very helpful for the workers and added that is why the centre is insisting on opening new bank accounts for workers.

He, however, lamented though Shillong has large number of workers with universal number, but the bank accounts is only 34 per cent. He said, “I have asked the state government to open bank account for all workers which will prevent their exploitation against them as there are cases that in paper the employer would say the employee is getting Rs 8000 but in hand they are getting only Rs 6000.”

Dattatreya also announced the decision to develop the dispensary as a 6-bedded hospital in the state.

“We are improving the dispensaries in Meghalaya (locating in Shillong and Tura). We will develop the dispensary in Shillong as 6-bedded hospital,” he said.

He has asked the state government to also develop the Centre’s National Career Service Portal (NCSP) in the state to ensure job opportunities to the unemployed youths which will go beyond its boundary.

He informed that if the state is connected to the portal, its youths will get employment anywhere in the country and need not depend only in the state.

The national career service portal according has around 3.4 crore job seekers and over 8 lakh job givers.