Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena approved the reconstitution of the Delhi Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board. This decision will enable the government to devise a compensation scheme for workers who lost their livelihood due to the implementation of GRAP IV restrictions. The board had been inactive for several years. Saxena also emphasised the need to provide subsistence allowances to workers affected by the restrictions, using funds collected as a labour cess. He highlighted the importance of revisiting housing schemes for workers and streamlining the implementation of benefits for construction workers and their families.
Earlier this week, Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena approved the reconstitution of the Delhi Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board. This move will allow the government to create a compensation scheme for construction workers who lost their livelihood due to the imposition of GRAP IV restrictions. The board had been inactive for the past few years. In granting his approval, the Lieutenant Governor instructed that immediate measures be taken to implement the Supreme Court's directive to provide subsistence allowances to workers affected by the suspension of construction activities due to high pollution levels in NCR states.
He noted that, given the continuation of GRAP IV norms, NCR states had been instructed to utilise funds collected as a labour cess for the welfare of construction workers. These funds should be used to provide weekly subsistence during periods when construction is prohibited under GRAP, and to pay wages in line with the Minimum Wages Act for the respective categories of workers.
The board has a substantial fund of INR 4,500 crore accumulated over the years from labour cess levied on government and private construction projects costing more than INR 10 lakh. According to records, over 88,400 workers are currently registered with the board. The Lieutenant Governor also emphasised the importance of reviewing the board's schemes and their progress, addressing any implementation issues, and ensuring that construction workers and their families who live in the "lowest strata" of society receive maximum benefits.
Saxena further highlighted the need to revisit housing schemes for workers, urging that those constructing buildings for others should also be provided with their own homes in Delhi, with adequate financial assistance from the board. The board will be chaired by the additional chief secretary (finance), with the welfare commissioner from the Union labour ministry as the Centre's representative. It will include five members from the Delhi government, comprising the secretary and commissioner of the labour department, additional labour commissioner, special secretary (finance), and principal secretary (law) or their nominees.
Representatives of major construction agencies, such as the engineer-in-chiefs of PWD, DDA, and MCD, along with the additional general manager (HR) of DMRC and the chief engineer of DTTDC, will also be part of the board. Additionally, five members will represent the building and other construction workers' unions.
The reconstitution of the Delhi Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board is a significant step towards supporting construction workers affected by the implementation of GRAP IV. With a corpus of INR 4,500 crore, the board will utilise funds to provide subsistence allowances during construction bans. Lieutenant Governor Saxena also directed a review of housing schemes for workers.
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