BOC workers stage dharna

Eluru: The Building and Other Construction workers staged a dharna in front of Andhra Bank at Ashok Nagar, in protest against the introduction of GO No 54, which had allegedly cancelled all the worker-friendly schemes under Building and Other Construction workers welfare board (BOC).

In response to a call given by IFTU State committee, workers took out a rally from Fire Station centre to Andhra Bank at Ashok Nagar. They staged a dharna for over one hour demanding that the BOC schemes be continued and that BOC workers be provided with ESI, PF and pension facility.

IFTU affiliated AP Progressive Building, other construction workers Association State Committee General Secretary U Venkateswara Rao addressing the workers said that the State Government did not allot even a single rupee to the BOC and the amount to be allotted is the money of the workers.

He stated that the Workers membership and cess on construction sector to a tune of Rs1, 500 crores were credited with BOC and these funds should be utilised completely for the worker's welfare.

However, he alleged that Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu had diverted those funds to Chandranna Kanuka, Chandranna Bima and other schemes, which was illegal.

He demanded the government scrap GO No 54 that facilitated the use of BOC funds and continue instead with GO No 3 under which BOC was established.
Association district President Badda Venkatrao, U Venkateswara Rao, Kakarla Srinivas, IFTU city leaders Kakarla Apparao, Yara Srinivas and others submitted a memorandum to the Superintendent Sultana Begum.