THE third state conference of the Uttar Pradesh Bhavan Nirman Mazdoor Sabha was held in Lucknow on June 18. About 100 delegates attended the conference from Balia, Lucknow, Gajipur, Moradabad, Pilibhit, Allahabad, Fathepur, Chandoli, Gondia, Firozabad and Varanasi districts.

Debanjan Chakrabarti, general secretary of the Construction Workers Federation of India, hosted the CITU flag and garlanded the martyrs column.

The conference paid homage to the martyrs and departed leaders.

RS Vajpayee, CITU state president, while inaugurating the conference, said that crimes have risen after the new BJP government came to power in the state. The chief minister of UP had called three meetings with the trade union leaders on the necessity to amend labour laws immediately. The state labour machinery remains crippled and disputes referred to industrial tribunal remain pending for long time as there is no judge for the industrial tribunal.

Debanjan Chakrabarti told the delegates that the Construction Workers Welfare Fund Act was passed in the parliament in 1996. In UP, the state government notified the rules on February 4, 2009; that means 13 years after the central Act was passed. It started its actual work through setting up of an advisory committee on November 9, 2013 that means a full 17 years after the central Act! Till March 31, 2017 the UP Construction Workers Welfare Board enrolled 32 lakh construction workers. Most of them are MNREGA workers. The state board has collected cess till March 31, 2017 of about 3000 crores of rupees and spent about 600 crores of rupees for providing benefits to the workers (beneficiaries).

Prem Nath Rai, general secretary of UP Bhavan Nirman Mazdoor Union presented the general secretary’s report. The treasurer placed the accounts for the years 2014-17.

Ten delegates participated in the discussion on general secretary’s report. Rai, replied to the debate and later the report and the accounts were adopted unanimously.

The conference elected 25 member state committee and elected 10 office bearers including president – Ram Singh, general secretary – Prem Nath Rai, and  treasurer – Ram Naresh Chourasia.

The conference presided over by Ram Singh was greeted by Rajesh Chand, DYFI state secretary, Bina Gupta, ICDS Karmi Samity secretary and Chandra, Domestic Workers Union secretary.