Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday announced a massive campaign for free registration of 10 lakh construction workers and renewal of old registrations across Punjab. Along with this, he instructed the officials that the benefits of welfare schemes should be extended directly to the laborers by organizing special camps in villages and urban areas. Chairing the review meeting of the Punjab Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board, the Chief Minister said that the Punjab Government is committed to provide social security benefits, welfare assistance and skill development opportunities to every construction worker.
during this time Chief Minister Honor Said, “Punjab Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board has been constituted to ensure the well-being, social security and socio-economic progress of construction workers through registration, financial assistance and welfare schemes. It is unfortunate that despite the availability of necessary funds, the welfare schemes for the workers could not achieve the required success due to long processing time.”
Registration camps will be organized across the state
Emphasizing the need to expand the scope of welfare schemes, the Chief Minister said, “At present, 2.21 lakh laborers are registered with the BOCW Welfare Board, which is quite low considering the ongoing large-scale construction activities and urbanization across Punjab. More registration camps will be organized across the state to improve the registration.”
The Chief Minister announced that the Punjab Government will waive the burden of registration fees on the workers during this special campaign so that maximum participation can be encouraged. Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said, “It has been observed that laborers are often hesitant in getting registered as they have to deposit Rs 145 as registration fee. To encourage registration and renewal, applicants will not be required to deposit this fee. During this massive registration drive, around 10 lakh laborers will be registered and the Punjab government itself will bear the financial expenditure of around Rs 15 crore.”
Instructions to Labor Department to organize special camps in villages
He further said that the Punjab government will continue to help the workers even after registration. He said, “The Punjab government will bear the cost of registration fees of all those laborers who do not avail any benefits within a year. The labor department has also been directed to organize special camps in the villages during evening hours as laborers return from work at that time and this will help in ensuring maximum registration.”
Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann also instructed the officials to improve the facilities available to the laborers at the labor squares. “Sheds should be built at labor squares and drinking water facilities should be provided so that workers do not face any problems while waiting for work,” he said.
The Chief Minister said that the Punjab Government has already taken important steps to improve access to welfare schemes by reducing delays in disposal of applications. Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said, “In the financial year 2022-23, the processing time of welfare schemes for laborers was 203 days. The Punjab government has now reduced it to 73 days. The long processing time was a major hindrance for laborers in availing the benefits of welfare schemes, hence this important decision has been taken.”
Punjab Skill Development Mission
Emphasizing the importance of skill development, the Chief Minister directed the Board to share the details of 50,000 registered construction workers with the ‘Punjab Skill Development Mission’. He said, “The Board should provide data of 50,000 registered construction workers to Punjab Skill Development Mission for skill training. This training should be given only at construction sites, training centers of Punjab Skill Development Mission and camps organized by BOCW Welfare Board.”
He said that workers should be given training in such special areas which can increase their skills and earning potential. “Training should be imparted in masonry, bar bending and fixing, shuttering carpentry, scaffolding, quality assurance, construction painting, construction electrical works, surveying, construction of roads and runways, internal and external finishing, fabrication, drafting, shuttering carpentry and other related areas,” he said.
The Chief Minister also directed the officials to ensure that women laborers get the benefits of major welfare schemes of the Punjab Government. Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said, “The board should ensure that women laborers also get financial assistance under the ‘Maanva-Dhiyan Satkar Yojana’.”
Cabinet Minister Hardeep Singh Mundian and other senior officials were also present during the meeting.
Leave a Reply