Gujarat move to replicate Amma canteen for construction workers opposed: Plea to utilize funds for welfare

By A Representative
Closely following the Amma canteens of Tamil Nadu and Annapurna Rasoi of Rajasthan, the Gujarat government’s populist decision to provide meal at a highly subsidized rate of Rs 10 to an estimated 50,000 construction workers across the state appears have few takers among social organizations working among them.
Announced in the 2017-18 budget, the state government proposes to hand over the kitchen for providing meal to a charity organization at chosen 88 spots, where construction workers seek jobs every day in the state’s urban areas. In all, it is estimated, it would cost state coffers Rs 70 crore in a year.
Opposing the move, Vipul Pandya, general secretary, Bandhkam Mazdoor Sangathan (BMS), which has branches spread out in all major cities, in a letter to Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani said that the workers wanting to have meal would face the “unnecessary hassle standing in queue every day”, which would “hurt their self-respect and dignity.”
Subsidized meal at Amma canteens is said to be a major reason why late Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa managed to remain popular in elections. Taking the cue, ruling parties of several states, including West Bengal, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, introduced a similar scheme.
The letter, written following a meeting of senior activists working among construction workers, says that such a scheme would become an “unnecessary drain on the exchequer of the Gujarat Construction Workers Welfare Board (GCWWB), which is supposed to fund for the scheme.”
“Instead”, the letter insists, “It would be more proper to provide workers with unemployment allowance of Rs 1,200 per month, especially during the monsoon season, when they are jobless, from GCWWB funds.”
“In fact”, states Pandya, “Even today, several charity organizations provide free meal at different spots, hence where is the need to spend money on providing subsidized meal is difficult to understand.”
Pandya says, the decision to hand over money from from GCWWB coffers has “little meaning”, as whatever funds the government body collects as cess for GCWWB from builders is “not utilized for the welfare of the construction workers.”
“The cess is collected at the rate of 1% of Rs 3,000 per square metre of buildup area, and according to our estimate, the GCWWB has already collected Rs 1,600 crore, which is lying unutilized”, says Pandya.
According to Pandya, “It is difficult to understand why the GCWWB continue to collect cess on the basis of a government resolution (GR) of 2006, instead of a 2012 GR, which says that the collection should be 1% of the construction cost involved per square metre.”
“Already”, says Pandya, “The GCWWB has lost an estimated Rs 2,500 crore for failing collect cess under the new formula”, adding, “The GCWWB fund should be collected under the new GR, and it should be utilized in providing interest free loan of up to Rs 2 lakh to buy up equipment used while doing construction work.”
“Also”, says Pandya, “The amount should be utilized in providing a subsidy of Rs 1,60,000 for the construction workers wanting to own a house, whether in city or in rural areas.”
He added, “The amount could also be used for providing pension of Rs 2,000 the construction workers, who cross 55 years of age, because they are unable to get employment in the industry thereafter.”

Comments

MG-NREGA: A global model still waiting to be fully implemented

By Bharat Dogra When the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MG-NREGA) was introduced in India nearly two decades ago, it drew worldwide attention. The reason was evident. At a time when states across much of the world were retreating from responsibility for livelihoods and welfare, the world’s second most populous country—with nearly two-thirds of its people living in rural or semi-rural areas—committed itself to guaranteeing 100 days of employment a year to its rural population.

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor* This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

Concerns raised over move to rename MGNREGA, critics call it politically motivated

By A Representative Concerns have been raised over the Union government’s reported move to rename the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), with critics describing it as a politically motivated step rather than an administrative reform. They argue that the proposed change undermines the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi and seeks to appropriate credit for a programme whose relevance has been repeatedly demonstrated, particularly during times of crisis.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Rollback of right to work? VB–GRAM G Bill 'dilutes' statutory employment guarantee

By A Representative The Right to Food Campaign has strongly condemned the passage of the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB–GRAM G) Bill, 2025, describing it as a major rollback of workers’ rights and a fundamental dilution of the statutory Right to Work guaranteed under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). In a statement, the Campaign termed the repeal of MGNREGA a “dark day for workers’ rights” and accused the government of converting a legally enforceable, demand-based employment guarantee into a centralised, discretionary welfare scheme.

From jobless to ‘job-loss’ growth: Experts critique gig economy and fintech risks

By A Representative Leading economists and social activists gathered in the capital on Friday to launch the third edition of the State of Finance in India Report 2024-25 , issuing a stark warning that the rapid digitalization of the Indian economy is eroding welfare systems and entrenching "digital dystopia."

School job scam and the future of university degree holders in West Bengal

By Harasankar Adhikari The school recruitment controversy in West Bengal has emerged as one of the most serious governance challenges in recent years, raising concerns about transparency, institutional accountability, and the broader impact on society. Allegations that school jobs were obtained through irregular means have led to prolonged legal scrutiny, involving both the Calcutta High Court and the Supreme Court of India. In one instance, a panel for high school teacher recruitment was ultimately cancelled after several years of service, following extended judicial proceedings and debate.

India’s Halal economy 'faces an uncertain future' under the new food Bill

By Syed Ali Mujtaba* The proposed Food Safety and Standards (Amendment) Bill, 2025 marks a decisive shift in India’s food regulation landscape by seeking to place Halal certification exclusively under government control while criminalising all private Halal certification bodies. Although the Bill claims to promote “transparency” and “standardisation,” its structure and implications raise serious concerns about religious freedom, economic marginalisation, and the systematic dismantling of a long-established, Muslim-led Halal ecosystem in India.

Women’s rights alliance seeks NCW action against Nitish Kumar over public veil incident

By A Representative An alliance of women’s rights activists has urged the National Commission for Women (NCW) to initiate legal action against Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over an incident at a public function in Patna that they allege amounted to a grave violation of a Muslim woman’s dignity and constitutional rights. In a detailed complaint dated December 18, the All India Feminist Alliance (ALIFA), part of the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), sought the NCW’s immediate intervention following an episode on December 15 during the distribution of appointment letters to newly recruited AYUSH doctors in Patna.

Search This Blog