Staff Reporter :
Government will provide Tk. 2 lakh as assistance to the family members of each of the farm labourers killed by lightning strikes across the country, Labour and Employment Minister Mujibul Haque Chunnu said on Monday.
“The authorities concerned have been asked to send the information relating to the death of any workers killed by lightning strike while working at crop land to the Ministry and we’ll take steps in this regard,” minister said while speaking at a press briefing on the eve of May Day, at the Secretariat.
Generally government provide Tk 2 lakh as compensation to those labours killed in workplace accidents and a rickshaw-puller is also entitled to such aid if one dies during work, he said.
The government has provided Tk 22 crore to 2654 workers from Workers Welfare Foundation. Some 100 orgnisations now deposit money from the profits they earn to this fund, the minister added.
Letters will be sent to all the institutions including the media for providing money to their workers, within two months, said Chunnu.
The Minister said there is a separate fund for garments workers. Some Tk 44.63 crore is available now at the fund and Tk 5.86 crore has been provided to 1326 workers.
Replying to a question, Chunnu said there are 43 sectors for workers. Of these, commission was formed for 38 while another was formed on January 29 which will provide its report within the next three months.
He also said the government has decided to provide Tk 2 lakh as compensation to the family members of Rozina Akhter, a domestic help, who died on Sunday after she lost one of her legs as a BRTC bus ran over her on the Airport Road in the capital’s Banani on April 20.
Talking about the May Day programme, the Minister said that the government has taken several programmers to mark the day. These include, rally, discussion and cultural programmmes. The main programme will be inaugurated by the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina around 4 pm at Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC) where the PM will hand over the money to the family members of ten workers who died or injured during work.
