Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, December 16 2009:
General secretary of the All India Trade Union Congress, L Sotinkumar today observed that apart from fixing wages of the labours at low rate not comparable with the prices of essential commodities, rice mean for onward distribution to the people at low rate are sold in the market at high price in the state.
Sotinkumar, speaking at the national protest day organised by the AITUC showing solidarity to the protest staged in front of Parliament by the members of the AITUC, CITU, TUCC, UTUC, INTUC, BMS, HMS, AIUTUC, AICCTU etc.
at Manipur Press Club, Imphal, also informed that under the pressure exerted by the CPI in association with the Consumers' Prize Redressal, state labour department has agreed to the hiking of minimum wages of the labour per day to Rs 117 .
Even though the department has agreed to revise the minimum wages, it could not be say out that when it will be implemented recalling that in the last instant even though the decision to revise the minimum wage of the labour was agreed in 2002, it was implemented only in 2005 .
Even though other states of the country have hiked the minimum wages of the job card holders of NREGS from Rs 100 to Rs 150 per head per day, government in Manipur is paying only Rs 81.40 .
He also charged that kerosene, rice, sugar and other items under PDS were also not distributed regularly to the beneficiaries of AAY, BPL and other card holders.
These items were diverted from the godowns of the government and sale in the open market at higher rates, he alleged.