‘Construction workers can register via doorstep delivery’

Sisodia says labourers will get certification within five to six days at their homes

November 20, 2020 01:41 am | Updated 03:59 am IST - New Delhi

Education Minister Manish Sisodia. File photo

Education Minister Manish Sisodia. File photo

Construction labourers in Delhi can use the government’s doorstep delivery services to register themselves with the construction board to avail various welfare schemes, said Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Thursday.

“The labourers can call at 1076 and say that they want to register for welfare schemes of the government and our executive will go to his house at the time he chooses. They do not have to visit government offices now,” Mr. Sisodia said.

The application will be approved online and an acknowledgement SMS and a call confirming the registration will be sent. “They will also get the registration certification at their homes in five to six days,” the Minister said.

Removal of middlemen

Mr. Sisodia said that construction workers’ welfare cess is collected from construction companies and the amount is used for the welfare of workers. To avail this amount, a construction worker needs to be registered with the board.

He said due to the complex process of registration and renewal, middlemen illegally ended up taking anything between ₹1,000 and ₹2,000 from labourers in the name of filling up their forms. Moreover, the workers then repeatedly go to the labour office and spend hours in queues. This leads to a loss of daily wages.

The Minister said under the law, the definition of a construction worker is fairly broad, including builder, painter, blacksmith, and crane operator among others.

He added that a watchman at construction sites, plumbers, carpenters, electricians, fitters, welders, shuttering workers, pump operators and others are also categorised as construction workers.

“Registered workers can avail an amount of anything between ₹35,000 to ₹51,000 for their child’s marriage. Health benefits of 2,000 to 10,000 and maternity benefit of up to ₹30,000, a monthly pension of ₹3,000 for workers over the age of 60, compensation of ₹2 lakh in case of accidental death, ₹1 lakh in case of natural death, ₹10,000 for covering the costs of a funeral, and ₹1 lakh as disability cover. Additionally, monthly scholarships ranging from ₹500 to ₹10,000 are also given for a worker’s child’s education,” an official statement said.

“Until now, only 1,11,000 workers have been registered in Delhi even though the city has an estimated 10 lakh workers working,” the Minister said.

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