Lok Sabha Question No. 800 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-11-21
Subject: Welfare of Construction Workers
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: CH. MALLA REDDY, RODMAL NAGAR, NANDI YELLAIAH, C.S. PUTTARAJU, VEENA DEVI, MUTHAMSETTI SRINIVASA RAO (AVNTHI), SAUGATA ROY

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 800 TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.11.2016

## WELFARE OF CONSTRUCTION WORKERS

800 SHRI CH. MALLA REDDY:

SHRI NAGAR RODMAL:

SHRI NANDI YELLAIAH:

SHRI C.S. PUTTA RAJU:

SHRIMATI VEENA DEVI:

SHRI MUTHAMSETTI SRINIVASA RAO (AVANTHI):

PROF. SAUGATA ROY:

Will the Minister of LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT be pleased to state:

- (a)whether any scheme/programme is being implemented by the Government for welfare and development of construction workers in the country and if
- so, the details thereof;
- (b)whether some States have reportedly resorted to diversion of funds meant  for  the  welfare  of  construction  workers; if  so,  the  details  thereof along  with  the  corrective  steps  taken/proposed  to  be  taken  by  the Government in this regard;
- (c)the  total  amount/funds  collected  by  the  Government  under  the  Worker's Welfare  Cess  in  the  country  and  the  amount  utilized  for  the  welfare  of construction labourers therefrom during each of the last three years and the current year, State/UT-wise; and
- (d)the other steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to ensure better  and  proper  utilisation  of  such  fund  as  well  as  for  overall  welfare and development of construction workers in the country?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE (IC) FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## (SHRI BANDARU DATTATREYA)

- (a): As  per  Section  18  of  the  Building  and  Other  Construction  Workers (RECS) Act, 1996, the State Governments/ UTsAdministration have constituted State Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board for welfare of construction workers.

Under  Section  22  of  the  Act,  functions  of  the  State  Building  and  Other Construction Workers Welfare Boards are as under:

- (a) provide immediate assistance to a beneficiary in case of accident;
- (b) make payment of pension to the beneficiaries who have completed  the age of sixty years;
- (c) sanction  loans  and  advances  to  a  beneficiary  for  construction  of  a houses not exceeding such amount and on such terms and conditions as may be prescribed;
- (d) pay such amount in connection with premia for Group Insurance Scheme of the beneficiaries as it may deem fit;
- (e) give  such  financial  assistance  for  the  education  of  children  of  the beneficiaries as may be prescribed;
- (f) meet  such  medical  expenses  for  treatment  of  major  ailments  of  a beneficiary or, such dependent, as may be prescribed;
- (g) make payment of maternity benefit to the female beneficiaries; and
- (h) make provisions and improvement of such other welfare measures  and facilities as may be prescribed.

The  State  Governments/UT  Administrations  have  formulated  their  own schemes in terms of Section 22 of the Act.

- (b): Levy  and  collection  of  cess  on  the  cost  of  construction  incurred  by employers under the Building and Other Construction Workers' Welfare Cess Act,  1996,  is  provided  with  a  view  to  augmenting  the  resources  of  the Building  and  Other  Construction  Workers'  Welfare  Boards.  Cess  funds  are utilized  by  the  State  Building  and  Other  Construction  Workers'  Welfare Boards  for  the  welfare  of  construction  workers.  Central  Government  has issued  direction  under  Section  60  of  the  Building  and  Other  Construction Workers (RECS) Act, 1996 to ensure that the cess is exclusively utilized for the welfare of construction workers.
- (c): State/UT-wise, amount of cess collected under the Building and Other Construction  Workers'  Welfare  Cess  Act,  1996  and  its  utilization  under  the Building  and  Other  Construction  Workers  (RECS)  Act,  1996  for  welfare  of construction workers, so far, is annexed.
- (d): Central  Government  has  been  issuing  directions  under  Section  60  of the Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions  of  Service)  Act,  1996,  to  all  the  State  Governments  and  UT Administrations from time to time for proper implementation of the Act.

The Central Government has also constituted a Committee under the Chairmanship of Secretary (Labour and Employment) to monitor the implementation of directions issued under Section 60 of the Act, specifically with reference to utilization of Cess fund for Welfare Schemes enumerated under  Section  22  of  the  Act,  by  State  Building  and  Other  Construction Workers' Welfare Boards.

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| Sl. No.   | Name of the States/UTs.   |   Amount of cess collected (Rs. in Crore) |   Amount spent (Rs. in Crore) |
|-----------|---------------------------|-------------------------------------------|-------------------------------|
| 1         | Andhra Pradesh            |                                   1153.61 |                       205.46  |
| 2         | Arunachal Pradesh         |                                     65.36 |                        51.6   |
| 3         | Assam                     |                                    512.24 |                        12.57  |
| 4         | Bihar                     |                                    809.06 |                        70.91  |
| 5         | Chhattisgarh              |                                    581.84 |                       355.19  |
| 6         | Goa                       |                                     70.89 |                         0.79  |
| 7         | Gujarat                   |                                   1323.85 |                        32.91  |
| 8         | Haryana                   |                                   1546.56 |                       115.87  |
| 9         | Himachal Pradesh          |                                    313.18 |                        33.01  |
| 10        | J&K                       |                                    455.73 |                       154.83  |
| 11        | Jharkhand                 |                                    267.65 |                       122.38  |
| 12        | Karnataka                 |                                   3625.56 |                       214.64  |
| 13        | Kerala                    |                                   1299.46 |                      1206.46  |
| 14        | Madhya Pradesh            |                                   1575.62 |                       552.04  |
| 15        | Maharashtra               |                                   3799.74 |                       217.66  |
| 16        | Manipur                   |                                     21    |                        10.99  |
| 17        | Meghalaya                 |                                     80.02 |                         0.93  |
| 18        | Mizoram                   |                                     34.1  |                        20.8   |
| 19        | Nagaland                  |                                     20.06 |                         3.34  |
| 20        | Odisha                    |                                    941.19 |                       120.06  |
| 21        | Punjab                    |                                    820.5  |                       320.45  |
| 22        | Rajasthan                 |                                   1316.24 |                       276.98  |
| 23        | Sikkim                    |                                     64.67 |                        20.68  |
| 24        | Tamil Nadu                |                                   1527.74 |                       522.957 |
| 25        | Telangana                 |                                    443.12 |                        98.69  |
| 26        | Tripura                   |                                    121.36 |                        81.92  |
| 27        | Uttar Pradesh             |                                   2603.01 |                       492.28  |
| 28        | Uttrakhand                |                                    159.41 |                        21.37  |
| 29        | West Bengal               |                                   1149.12 |                       531.42  |
| 30        | Delhi                     |                                   1536    |                       174.71  |
| 31        | A &NIsland                |                                      5.69 |                         3.94  |
| 32        | Chandigarh                |                                     87.6  |                         2.81  |
| 33        | Dadra &Nagar Haveli       |                                      3.08 |                         0     |
| 34        | Daman and Diu             |                                     37.17 |                         0.54  |
| 35        | Lakshadweep               |                                      4.26 |                         0     |
| 36        | Puducherry                |                                     78.93 |                        45.86  |
| Total     | Total                     |                                  28454.6  |                      6097.05  |

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