CM Mann announces big relief for construction workers, free registration of 10 lakh workers will be done in Punjab

Chandigarh:Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann today 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 to provide the benefits of welfare schemes 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.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann made a big claim  

During this, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann 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 laborers could not achieve the required success due to long processing time."

Emphasizing the need to increase the scope of welfare schemes, the Chief Minister said, "At this time BOCW There are 2.21 lakh workers registered with the Welfare Board, which is quite low considering the large-scale construction activities and urbanization going on across Punjab. More registration camps will be organized across the state to improve registration."

The Chief Minister announced that the Punjab Government will waive the burden of registration fees on workers during this special drive so as to encourage maximum participation. Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said, "It has been observed that workers are often reluctant to register because 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. During this campaign, about 10 lakh laborers will be registered and the Punjab government will itself bear the financial expenditure of about Rs 15 crore."

He further said that the Punjab government will continue to help the laborers even after registration. He said, "Punjab Government will bear the cost of registration fee of all those workers who do not avail any benefit within a year. The Labor Department has also been instructed 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 directed the officials to improve the facilities available to the laborers at the labor squares. He said, "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."

Big step of Punjab government  

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, "The processing time of welfare schemes for workers in the financial year 2022-23 was 203 days. The Punjab government has now reduced it to 73 days. Long processing time was a major hurdle for workers in availing the benefits of welfare schemes, hence this important decision has been taken."

Emphasizing the importance of skill development, the Chief Minister directed the Board to share details of 50,000 registered construction workers with ‘Punjab Skill Development Mission’. He said, "The Board should provide the data of 50,000 registered construction workers to Punjab Skill Development Mission for skill training. This training is available only at construction sites, training centers of Punjab Skill Development Mission and BOCW. It should be given only in the camps organized by the Welfare Board."

He said that workers should be given training in such special areas which can enhance their skills and earning potential. He said, "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."

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann 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.