The Hindu         24.09.2014  

GHMC to set up shelters for daily wage earners 

The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) would
set up shelters with amenities such as drinking water and toilets at
different ‘labour addas’ of the city for daily wage workers hanging
around in search of work.

At a meeting on
‘Unorganised Labour and Social Protection-A Programme for Inclusive
Cities’, which was held as a pre-event to Metropolis-2014 meet on
Tuesday, GHMC Commissioner Somesh Kumar said 50 plus labour addas were
identified where workers hang around braving sun and rain each day
looking for daily wage.

“We will construct
facilitation centres with basic amenities and ensure the unorganised
sector workers do not have to stand on the roads,” he said. The civic
body has also finalised setting up shelters at seven major hospitals for
patients’ attendants. These facilities with a capacity to accommodate
300 to 400 persons would be equipped with toilets, lockers and beds and
set up in next six months, the Commissioner said.

Towards
making Hyderabad a slum-free city, the GHMC has completed designs for
approximately 500 sft two bedroom housing facility and the first of this
scheme would be taken up at IDH Colony, Bhoiguda. “Tendering process is
to be taken up and we expect it to be ready within five months,” Mr.
Somesh Kumar added.

In his address, Labour and
Employment Minister N. Narasimha Reddy said the Telangana government was
committed to uplift the living conditions of workers in unorganised
sector. “A change in society could be brought about by addressing the
issues of these workers, who are not organised, scattered and are denied
of privileges,” he said.

Labour Department Commissioner D. Ashok said schemes were being taken up to develop skills for unorganised workforce.

Sharad
Rao, National President, Hind Mazdoor Sabha, Suneetha Eluri of
International Labour Organisation and others participated in the one-day
colloquium.