Welfare of labourers: government to provide funds for completion of ongoing projects

Provincial Minister for Labour & Auqaf, Syed Ehsaan-ud-Din Qureshi has said the government has launched a comprehensive plan for the welfare of labourers and will provide required funds for the completion of ongoing development projects launched by the labour department.
The minister further said that new welfare schemes would also be initiated specially for the provision of modern education and healthcare facilities to labourers and their children. He said that the department is introducing hospital management information system at a cost of Rs 42 million with the technical assistance of Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital.
Talking to various delegations of workers, Syed Ehsaan-ud-Din Qureshi on Tuesday said that steps were being taken to eradicate the evil of bonded labour. The department was trying to eliminate bonded labour in brick kilns projects in eight additional districts at a cost of Rs 180 million whereas, Rs 138 million would be spent for combating worst forms of child labour in 4 districts of province. He said that Rs 100 million would be utilised for the establishment of labour market information and resource center for the welfare of labour community.
The government was making all-out efforts to eliminate the menace of bonded labour in brick kilns. A public awareness campaign may be launched by the NGOs through holding of seminars for the elimination of this curse and the labour department will fully cooperate in this matter, he concluded.