Jalandhar, May 1
Various labour unions across the district today observed Labour Day and demanded better economic status and social security for them in the society.

Members of the Intas Field Workers Union observed Labour Day in collaboration with the Punjab Medical Representatives Association. President of the union Anil Vij paid tributes to the labourers who died in harness. He highlighted the significance of Labour Day in the world and its genesis on May 1, 1886 in Chicago.

The union members pledged to continue their fight for the rights of labourers and started a signature campaign in this regard.

Meanwhile, on a call given by the National Legal Services Authority, the members of the District legal Services Authority also observed Labour Day at the District Administrative Complex here today.

Ranjit Kumar Jain, Civil Judge (Senior Division)-cum-Secretary of the District legal Services Authority highlighted various facilities for labourers under Section 39 of the Indian Constitution. He said the labourers should avail themselves of free legal aid available under the legal services in the district.

“We will soon set up Legal Aid Clinics at the village level under various clusters. This will ensure the safety of the rights of labourers at the grass-roots level,” he added.

Amritsar: The Labour Department is helpless and working under political pressure as the corporate houses and big industrial units continue to violate the labour laws.

This was stated by various speakers while addressing a rally organised in front of the railway station to mark May Day. They also launched a scathing attack on the government, which failed to commence the Amritsar-Chandigarh Duronto train even after its announcements.

It is evident to mention here that Left party workers have been sitting on a chain hunger strike at the site for the last 10 days their demand of the starting of the Duronto train.

“It is now over a century that the big industrial units are practicing the same labour practices in the country and exploiting the poor people by making them work for 12-16 hours a day without giving requisite remunerations,” said Dr Joginder Dyal, national executive member of the CPI and national secretary of the Kisan Sabha. He said the government should ensure the implementation of the labour laws in letter and spirit.

Speaking on the occasion, Bant Singh Brar, general secretary, All-India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), demanded that the Punjab Government should increase the minimum wages for labourers.

“The state government should fix Rs 10,000 as the monthly wage for unskilled labourer, while for the skilled labourer it should be fixed at Rs 15,000 per month and highly skilled people should be given Rs 20,000 per month,” he said.

The speakers also urged the government to end the contract system and provide regular jobs for permanent works. They also sought the cancellation of the registration of industrial units which gave a scant regards to the labour laws.

Various unions participating in the rally supported the protest launched by the CPI and CPM for starting for Amritsar-Chandigarh Duronto train. They criticised the Railways Ministry for its failure to commence the train, which was the need of the hour.

Meanwhile, in order to mark May Day, a seminar was organised in the labour court situated in the district court complex here today. H.S. Madaan, District and Sessions Judge-cum-Chairman of the District Legal Services Authority, Karnail Singh, District and Sessions Judge-cum-presiding officer of the Industrial Tribunal, Arun Gupta, Additional District Sessions Judge, and other paid rich tributes to the Chicago martyrs.

Hoshiarpur: Addressing the state-level function of the Labour Safety, Help and Sanman Samaroh held here today in connection with Labour Day, Punjab Minister for Labour, Parliamentary Affairs, Forest and Wildlife, Medical Education and Research Tikshan Sud said keeping in view the price index, the state government had increased the daily wage of illiterate labourer to Rs 150 from March 1, 2011. Similarly, wages of other labourers had also been increased.

The state government had issued notification under the Minimum Wages Act for the security of labourers for the first time. To end child labour, Bal Mazdoori Khatma Saptah was observed twice in the state. As many as 621 children, who had been working as labourers, were got freed and Rs 20.80 lakh given for their rehabilitation.

On account of holdings of 17 safety seminars, the number of industrial accidents were decreased from 35 to 14 in 2010.

To settle claim cases of labourers through lok adalats, a target of 600 cases had been fixed from 2010 to 2012. A sum of Rs 77,88,500 was distributed to the industrial labourers under various schemes of the Punjab Labour Welfare Board. Under the stipend scheme, Rs 2,08,260 was given to 127 children of labourers who were studying in schools and colleges, etc.

Ex gratia grant of Rs 9 lakh was given to kin of 10 industrial labourers who had lost their lives in industrial accidents.

The minister gave away the state security awards to the management of 19 industrial units for taking excellent safety measures to avoid any untoward accident. Besides, the Shiromani Award and Kiratveer Award to three labourers each were given for their valuable suggestions.

Chief Secretary, Labour, Punjab, R.C. Nayar, who presided over the function, appealed to the labour class to get their children educated for their better prospects in life.

Labour Commissioner P.S. Mand, Deputy Commissioner Dharam Dutt Tarnach and officials of various government departments were present.

Labour Day was also observed by various CITU organisations at Shaheed Udham Singh Park here.

A function was jointly organised by the joint morcha of various labour unions, Bhartiya Nepali Ekta Manch and Punjab Jammu Kashmir State Samiti at the local Roshan.

Nakodar: The Pendu Khet Mazdoor Union, Technical Services Union, Democratic Teachers front and Bhatha Union today observed May Day, also known as Labour Day, at different places in Shahkot here.

Hundreds of daily wage labourers and workers of different labour unions of Nakodar and Shahkot gathered at the local bus stand.

Speaking on the occasion, representatives of the Khet Mazdoor Union Tarsem Peter and Harmesh Malrhi said time was ripe to remember the efforts of the labour union movement, which occurred 145 years back and now they all were here to remember the sacrifices made by workers at that time. He said even today the labourers were forced to work as slaves and were not being offered enough wages.

They said the Central Government should increase the wages of MNREGA workers. Labour unions also passed a resolution not to work more that eight hours a day. Labour Day was also observed at Ugghi and Malsian villages near Shahkot.

Nawanshahr, May 1
Rich tributes were paid to Satguru Bahmanand Bhuriwale by a large number of devotees and prominent personalities, including Dr Daljit Singh Cheema, Adviser to the Punjab Chief Minister, Hira Singh Gabria, Tourism Minister, Harbans Lal Kapur, Speaker, Uttranchal Vidhan Sabha, Chaudhary Nand Lal, Chief Parliamentary Secretary, Avinash Rai Khanna, MP, Tej Partap Singh, former minister, Charanjit Singh Channi, former MP, Love Kumar Goldy, MLA, Garhshanker, at a religious congregation organised under the patronage of Maharaj Chetna Nand Bhuriwale, present master of the Bhuriwale sect, to mark his ninth death anniversary at Pojewal village on Sunday.

Speaking on the occasion, the prominent political, social and religious personalities, while terming Maharaj Brahmanand Bhuriwale a “saint with a difference”, lauded his contribution in the field of education and healthcare in the remote and backward Kandi area falling in the SBS Nagar, Ropar and Hoshiarpur districts in the state.

Besides, he was instrumental in infrastructural development of the Kandi area by mobilising the successive governments as well as philanthropists for the extension and augmentation of irrigation and drinking water facilities and construction of roads, etc.

Hira Singh Gabria announced a grant of Rs 3 lakh to the trust on the occasion. The trust also organised a free medical check-up camp and a blood donation camp to commemorate the death anniversary.

Amritsar, May 1
Members of the Amritsar Auto-Rickshaw Union held a protest meeting against the SAD-BJP coalition government for allegedly making policies against their interests here yesterday.

The auto-rickshaw drivers gathered at the historic Rambagh Gardens and held the protest meeting.

An auto-rickshaw driver, Jasbir Singh, said auto-rickshaw drivers came from economically weak families and join the profession because of low investment and good returns. He said the governments had invariably enacted Acts to tighten noose around these drivers on the premise that their vehicles created pollution.

Another auto-rickshaw driver, Jaskaran Singh, said a constructive policy to help auto-rickshaw drivers to smoothly switch over to advance eco-friendly auto-rickshaws like CG and LPG-run ones was never introduced.

Union president Rampal, who is also core member of the People’s Party of Punjab (PPP),headed by Manpreet Singh Badal, demanded that auto-rickshaw drivers be placed under the BPL category and must be extended all benefits under it. He added that their children be given free education.

He said they must be offered soft loans to switch over to eco-friendly fuels-run auto-rickshaws. He also sought the withdrawal of clause of having passed middle standard exam before issuing driving licences to auto-rickshaw drivers.

The protesting members of the union demanded that the government must keep over 15-year-old commercial vehicles like buses, mini-buses, trucks, mini-trucks and vans off the road to decrease automobile pollution.

Jalandhar, May 1
To raise the standards of education in the district, Rs 13.99 crore are being spent for the construction of necessary buildings, boundary walls and toilets in schools here.

This information was provided by Deputy Commissioner Priyank Bharti while addressing a meeting of the District Education Development Committee. He said 24,000 m-long boundary walls were being constructed for schools. Work for the construction of 18,058 m of boundary walls had been completed, while the rest was on, he said.

The DC said other than this, the work for the construction of kitchens was on in 1,119 government primary and upper primary schools (702 primary and 417 upper primary).

He said kitchen sheds were being made in 716 schools. He issued directions for the use of PTA and panchayati funds for the completion of kitchens in 316 schools, where they were left incomplete.

He said presently the facility of the mid-day meal was being provided to 1.48 lakh children in the district. From May, 2010, the facility was extended to 1,350 students in 27 schools of the district under the National Child Labour Project. He said the government had made a 7.5 per cent increase in the expenditure for the mid-day meal (an increase of 20 paise in primary and 30 paise in upper primary schools).

Amritsar, May 1
The incidence of asthma in the Indian population is found to be 2-5 per cent, while it is more common in the urban population as compared to the rural one.

This was revealed by Dr Ravneet Singh Grover, a chest, ENT and allergy specialist, while delivering a lecture during a seminar organised by the Rotary Clubs of Amritsar West, South East and North in association with Respicure Chest and ENT Centre to mark World Asthma Day today.

“The difference is largely because of the polluted urban environment in comparison to the rural environment. Even in rural areas, the incidence of allergic diseases rises significantly during the harvesting season due to high concentration of grain dust in the air,” he said.

Anil Joshi, MLA, was the chief guest.