Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday announced a free enrolment drive to register and revalidate 10 lakh construction workers across Punjab, while directing officials to take welfare schemes directly to labourers through special camps in villages and urban areas.
Chairing a review meeting of the Punjab Building and Other Construction Workers’ (BOCW) Welfare Board, the chief minister said the Punjab government was committed to ensuring that every construction worker received social security benefits, welfare assistance and opportunities for skill development.
Highlighting the need to expand the coverage of welfare schemes, Mann noted, “As of now, 2.21 lakh workers are registered with the BOCW Welfare Board, which is quite low considering the massive construction activities and urbanisation taking place across Punjab. To improve registrations, more registration camps will be organised across the state,” he said.
The CM announced that the government will remove the registration fee burden on workers during the special campaign to encourage maximum participation. “It has been observed that workers often avoid registration because they are required to deposit ₹145 as registration fee. To incentivise registration and revalidation, applicants will not be required to deposit this fee during the mass registration campaign. The government will bear the financial implication of nearly ₹15 crore,” said Mann.
Registration camps only after labourers’ working hours
He further said the labour department had been directed to organise the special camps in villages during evening after labourers’ work hours to help ensure maximum registrations.
Mann also directed officials to improve facilities available to labourers at Labour Chowks. “Sheds and drinking water facilities should be provided at Labour Chowks for labourers’ convenience while waiting for work,” he said.
The chief minister also directed officials to ensure that women labourers benefited from the Punjab government’s flagship welfare initiatives. “The board must ensure that women labour workers also receive financial assistance under the Mawan Dheeyan Satkar Yojna,” said Mann.
Cabinet minister Hardeep Singh Mundian and other senior officials were present during the meeting.
