Govt. to end contract labour in FCI depots:Pawar

New Delhi, Aug 14 (UNI) The government has in principle decided to end contract labour in the state-run Food Corporation of India (FCI) depots by paying these workers directly, Food and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar today said.

The 1.08 lakh contract workers in the FCI depots across the country will be brought under the direct payment system or made part of a co-operative system, Mr Pawar told the Lok Sabha during Question Hour.

''In principle, we have accepted a suggestion to bring the contract workers under the direct payment system or set up a co-operative system,'' he said.

The decision will be first implemented in Punjab, he added.

The issue was raised by Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader in the Lower House, Basudev Acharia, who demanded abolition of contract labour in FCI depots and introduction of direct payment of salaries.

According to Mr Acharia, though the Labour Ministry had issued a notification asking FCI to introduce the direct payment system to contract workers, it had not been implemented across the country.

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