Port Blair, Jan 27: CITU-affiliated Andaman Sarvajanik Nirman Vibhag Mazdoor Sangh has demanded bonus to all daily rated mazdoors working in the APWD without any discrimination. In a letter addressed to the Chief Engineer, APWD, Shri SP Kalairajan, General Secretary, ASNVMS drew the attention of the Chief Engineer to the letter dated 20th January, 2023 sent to all the Executive Engineers of APWD by EO to Chief Engineer forwarding therewith a copy of the letter dated 18th January, 2023 received from the Deputy Secretary (PWD), A & N Administration on the issue of grant of bonus. In the said letter, the Administration has conveyed the approval for grant of adhoc bonus to those DRMs who have been benefitted with 1/30th of pay plus DA in terms of OM No. 289 dated 22.09.2017 against the existing vacancies of WC Beldar and Khallasi of APWD.  

Shri Kalairajan has pointed that there is no mention about the grant of adhoc bonus only to 1/30th of pay plus category daily rated workers, in the orders issued by the Govt. of India till October, 2022.  Restricting the benefit of bonus only to a section of workers is against the order of the Govt. of India on the subject of grant of Non-PLB (Adhoc bonus). Shri Kalairajan further drew the attention of the Chief Engineer to the settlement judgement of the Hon’ble Lok Adalat and High Court on  this issue in which no  distinction was drawn between the 1/30th category employees and others.  The case is still pending in the Hon’ble High Court.   

ASNVMS has also drew the attention of the Chief Engineer to the judgement dated 19th December, 2022 in MA 09 of 2020 (Lt Governor & others –vs- ASNVMS & Others) of the Division Bench of Hon’ble High Court at Calcutta, sitting Circuit at Port Blair.  The Hon’ble High Court has ordered that all the daily rated mazdoors working under the A & N Administration are eligible for the 1/30th of pay plus DA benefits with effect from 22nd September, 2017.  Shri Kalairajan said that since there is no stay on the said judgement of the Division Bench, the Administration has to implement the directions contained in the said judgement. In this way, all the DRMs working in the APWD are eligible for bonus.   

Shri Kalairajan further told the Chief Engineer that the CITU-affiliated ASNVMS has been taking up the issue of grant of adhoc bonus to all the Daily Rated Mazdoors working in APWD since 2015 but the APWD has always been opposing it without any reason. He referred to the latest agitation conducted by the ASNVMS the 3-day mass demonstration in front of APWD Headquarters from 19th to 21st October, 2022. The agitation was called off on an assurance given by the Commissioner-cum-Secretary (PWD) that all the DRMs working in APWD will be granted Adhoc bonus. 

Shri Kalairajan urged the Chief Engineer, APWD to take up the matter with the A & N Administration to re-consider the decision to grant the adhoc bonus only to a section of DRMs, leaving behind others as there is no specific direction in the Govt. of India’s orders issued during 2018, 2019 and 2022 and also on the basis of the judgement dated 19th December, 2022 of the Division Bench of Hon’ble High Court.  He further urged the Chief Engineer to pursue the matter with the A & N Administration to extend the benefit of adhoc bonus to all DRMs working in the APWD as has been done in various other departments under the Administration including Secretariat.