New Delhi: For years, thousands of casually paid labourers (CPLs) of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) have worked in extreme high altitude and weather conditions building infrastructure along the borders. However, most families of those who die while carrying out their task, could not even perform their last rites.
This was because the family of the deceased were unable to bear the expenditure of airfare or even transportation by road in most conditions.
They also found it difficult to afford the funeral and other related expenses. What made it even more challenging was that the funeral expenditure set by the BRO for the CPLs was a mere Rs 1,000 with no facility for transportation of the body back to the labourer’s family.
Stunned by this, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had directed the BRO to craft appropriate welfare measures.
The minister has now approved two major changes — the extension of existing provisions of ‘Preservation and Transportation of the Mortal Remains’, available for General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF) personnel of BRO, to CPLs as well. He has also approved an increase in funeral expenditure for the CPLs to Rs 10,000 from Rs 1,000, the defence ministry said in a statement Sunday.
This will be borne by the government in the event of the death of any CPL while on government bonafide duty at BRO projects, whose last rites are being performed at the worksite, it added.
These changes were prompted by the defence minister’s visit to forward BRO worksites, where he saw the difficult working conditions of the CPLs, the statement said.
“He was solicitous about their welfare and had directed the BRO to craft appropriate welfare measures for them. These new welfare measures will go a long way in enabling the bereaved dependents to perform decent last rites to their loved ones,” it added.
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‘Disparity was stunning’
Speaking to ThePrint, sources in the defence ministry said that the disparity was stunning and that the CPLs were employed by the BRO for the construction of roads in forward and border areas. They work hand-in-hand with the BRO personnel in adverse climates and tough working conditions, which sometimes results in casualties, they added.
“Until now, the facility of preservation and transportation of mortal remains to the native place at government expense was available only for the GREF personnel,” said the defence ministry statement.
It added that the CPLs working in similar conditions were deprived of this facility. “In case of their death, the burden of the transportation falls on the bereaved families. Due to lack of financial resources, the family of the deceased are unable to bear the expenditure of airfare or even transportation by road in most conditions.”
According to the statement, a bereaved family often finds it extremely difficult to afford the funeral and other related expenditures.
“In such circumstances, the next of kin/legal heirs of deceased CPLs do not get a chance to pay tribute by way of performing the last rites of their kin, who have laid down their lives for the cause of the nation,” it said.
In the past, state governments have accused the BRO of providing precarious working conditions to the CLPs, thousands of whom are hired every year for multiple projects. For instance, in March this year, the Jharkhand government accused the BRO of failing to comply with mutually agreed terms for hiring migrant workers from the state for projects in tough terrains.
(Edited by Richa Mishra)