Imphal, December 14 2010: The Labour Department today issued notice to the various departments of the state governments, local authorities, public sector undertakings, and private sector companies to give 1 % cess tax to fully implement the Manipur Building and Other Construction Workers' Welfare Scheme in the state.

Cess tax of 1 % from the construction works of government departments, public and private sectors, local authorities and premium of the grant-in-aids and loans for the workers sanctioned by the centre will be used to run the scheme.

The Building and Other Construction Workers' Welfare Scheme was implemented in the state in August this year under the Building and Other Construction Workers' (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act 1996 .

A meeting was held on December 9 with the commissioners, secretaries and high officials of PWD, PHED, IFCD, Electricity, CADA and Education which was presided by the chief secretary.

The meeting resolved to deduct 1 % cess tax from the bills of contractors.

Altogether 11 departments of the state government, 13 public sector undertakings, 12 local authorities and five private sector companies have been identified to implement the 1% cess tax.

The 11 government departments are PWD, PHED, IFCD, Electricity, Minor Irrigation, Education (Engineering Cell), MSRDO, CPWD (Manipur Zone), CADA, BRO and 15th BRTF.

The public sector undertakings are Imphal sewage project, Manipur sericulture project, MTD, MDS, MPHC, NBCC (Manipur Unit), NPCC (Manipur Unit), North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO), National Hydro Electric Project, MANIDCO and NF Railways.

The local authorities identified are IMC, PDA, Brahmaputra Development Board (Manipur Unit), Airport Authority of India, JNIMS, MU (Engeeniring Cell), CAU (Engineering Cell), District Council Engineering Cell, DRDA, AIR Imphal, DDK Imphal and LDA.

The private sectors companies are Airtel, Aircel, Tata Indicom, Reliance and Vodafone.

According to an official of the labour department, only NF Railways has given the tax so far.

The scheme will give benefits to workers indulging in construction of roads and buildings.

Workers registered under the scheme will get pension benefits when they reach the age of 60 years.

The scheme will provide accident insurance, health insurance, education assistance for their children, maternity benefits, group insurance schemes and housing loans to the workers.

For registering under the scheme, a worker must produce a certificate from the concerned contractor under which his is working and a birth certificate.

Workers of age 18 to 60 years can apply for the scheme.

Workers who are engaged in building private construction need to produce a certificate issued by the concerned head mason.

However workers on contract involved in construction work amounting to less '10 lacs will not be covered by the scheme.

Rural Labour Inspectors for all the districts have been appointed.

The inspectors will receive application of the workers at Thoubal CD Block, Bishnupur CD Block, Ukhrul TD Block, CCpur TD block, Chandel TD Block, Senapati TD Block, Imphal East CD Block (Sawombung) and office of the Workers Welfare Board situated near the Imphal West Employment Exchange office at Lamphelpat, Imphal.

Around 100 workers have registered under the scheme so far.

More than 1000 application forms have been issued.

Although the exact amount of the premium amount to be paid by the workers in a month is not defined the amount may be ' 20.In comparison in Andhra Pradesh, workers pay only ' 1 a month as premium of the scheme.

Although the scheme was implemented in the state some months ago, many poor workers in the state have not got any benefits from the scheme since the government has not given any publicity to spread awareness of the scheme.

However, a reliable source confirms that a poster campaign to create awareness about the scheme to the workers throughout the state will soon be carried out.

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