MUMBAI: Nearly Rs3,065 crore has been collected as cess to provide benefits to construction labourers, but so far, only Rs182 crore of this has been spent on their welfare, the state’s labour minister Prakash Mehta admitted on Tuesday, while replying to a calling attention motion raised in the Assembly by the Opposition.
But this failure to provide benefits to construction labourers did not stop the minister from announcing a grander plan — that of recognising all farm labourers (around 84 lakh) as part of the unorganised work force, and offering them similar welfare benefits.
Legislators from the Congress and NCP took the state to task over the non-implementation of the Building and other Construction Workers Welfare Cess Act, 1998, notified by the state in 2008. The Act says builders of projects worth Rs10 lakh and above should pay 1% of construction cost (barring cost of land) to the labour department. This will be spent on welfare schemes for workers.
It’s nearly seven years since, but only 3.69 lakh construction labourers, of a total 55 lakh, are registered with the welfare board.
All workers between 18 and 60 years, who have been engaged in construction activity for 90 days a year, can register with the board, on submitting a certificate from the contractor. Once registered, the labourers are eligible for several schemes, including mediclaim, scholarship for their children, direct benefit transfer for food worth Rs3,000, among others. At present, few avail these benefits.
“The 90-day certificate condition is difficult for workers to fulfil, as the policy also asks for a work order copy from the contractor. So, there is money sitting in the state kitty, but has failed to reach the beneficiaries,” said BJP legislator and former Congress minister Sunil Deshmukh.
To increase awareness, Mehta promised to launch a drive on Mahaonline and hire an agency to register construction labourers. “We will bring a comprehensive policy so even farm labourers can get similar benefits.”
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