Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has ordered Labour Department to launch a vigorous drive to register the maximum number of construction workers to enable them to avail the state government’s welfare benefits.Presiding over the 25th meeting of Punjab Building & Other Construction Workers' Welfare Board of the Labour Department here at CMO this evening, the Chief Minister underlined the need to create awareness among these labourers about the existing welfare schemes under the Punjab Building & Other Construction Workers' Welfare Board. This would enable them to take the maximum advantage of the schemes, he added.The Chief Minister also approved the Board's proposal to pay an additional equal amount of Rs.1.5 lac for the registered construction workers belonging to SC/BC category with annual income less than Rs.3 lac under "Punjab Shehri Awas Yojna-2017". Those having three-year membership with the Board would be eligible under the scheme. It may be recalled that under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna, the central government already provides Rs.1.50 lac per beneficiary. Captain Amarinder Singh also gave the nod to the Board to provide interest subsidy of 6.5% upon the loan taken by Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category construction workers, having annual income less than Rs.3 lac.
Apprising the Chief Minister about the achievements of Board, Principal Secretary Labour Sanjay Kumar said that 6.39 lac workers had been registered with the Board and nearly 3.70 lac were regularly depositing their contribution. As many as 3.06 lac workers had been so far benefitted under various schemes and the Board had spent Rs.522.33 cr on various welfare schemes and Rs. 22.17 cr on administrative expenditure.Out of the total income of the Board to the tune of Rs.1352.79 cr (on account of 1% cess on cost of construction of building works, workers contribution at Rs.10 per month and interest on FDRs), a sum of Rs. 544.50 cr had been spent and the balance lying with the Board was Rs.808.29 cr as on October 31, 2017.All financial benefits to the beneficiaries were now being directly transferred into their accounts, the meeting was informed. Further, the Board had integrated the whole network of web portal "bocw.punjab.gov.in" with the Punjab Sewa Portal, thus enabling the construction workers to file their applications at their nearest Sewa Kendras.All new registrations of construction workers were being linked with Aadhaar and Mobile number. In case of earlier registrations, the Aadhaar and Mobile numbers would be linked at the time of renewal of registration or when the workers approach to get benefits.
To enable more construction workers to benefit from medical checkup facility, the Chief Minister gave approval for another mobile health lab to be pressed in service, along with appointment of a driver and lab attendant on outsourcing basis. The Mobile Health Lab Scheme, being run by the Board, provides medical checkup facility at just Rs 124 per worker.The Chief Minister also agreed to the Board’s proposal that in case the construction worker gets medical treatment from PGI or any government hospital, he would not be required to get his medical reimbursement bills certified from the office of civil surgeon. Thus, the payment of reimbursement would be made directly by the Board to avoid any procedural delays.Prominent amongst others who were present in the meeting were Media Advisor to CM Raveen Thukral, Principal Secretary to CM Tejveer Singh, Principal Secretary Labour Sanjay Kumar, Labour Commissioner TS Dhaliwal, Director Local Government Kamal Kishore Yadav, Chief Engineer (HQ) PWD AK Singla, Special Secretary Housing & Urban Development TPS Phoolka and Deputy Secretary of Board SS Bandi.