ITANAGAR, Feb 17: The BRO Labourers’ Union North East Region has urged the Arunachal government to extend maternity leave to the BRO workers by implementing the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961.
It said though the state government in 2019 approved 180 days’ maternity leave for contingency and contractual employees working under the state government, the same benefit is not being extended to the BRO labourers in the state.
The union submitted a memorandum in this regard to the chief minister.
It said that Regional Labour Commissioner (C) Abhijeet Kumar had on 30 January written to the state’s labour commissioner, seeking implementation of the Maternity Benefit Act.
In the letter, Kumar requested the labour commissioner to take appropriate action in the matter, “since state government is the appropriate government for enforcement of the provisions of Maternity Act, 1960 for the establishment of BRO.”
Deputy Labour Commissioner (Central), Guwahati, AA Khan, had also written to the labour commissioner in February and August last year for implementation of the act, the union said, and furnished copies of the letter.
“It is really very surprising that the matter has not been taken up by department of Labour & Employment, Govt of Arunachal Pradesh and the matter is dumped in the file since long,” the union rued.
It appealed to the chief minister to look into the matter seriously in the greater interest of the poor workers, as well as on humanitarian ground.
