Lok Sabha Question No. 8 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-07-19
Subject: Building and other Construction Workers
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: C.N. Annadurai, Dharmendra Kumar Kashyap, B. Y. Raghavendra, Dhanush M Kumar, Gajanan Chandrakant Kirtikar, Gautham Sigamani Pon

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## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 8

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 19.07.2021

## BUILDING AND OTHER CONSTRUCTION WORKERS

- SHRI C.N. ANNADURAI:

SHRI B.Y. RAGHAVENDRA:

SHRI DHANUSH M. KUMAR:

SHRI GAJANAN KIRTIKAR:

SHRI GAUTHAM SIGAMANI PON:

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

- (a)whether the building and other construction workers (BOCW) who are the  most  vulnerable  segment  of  the  unorganised  sector  workers  in India  have  suffered  severely  during  lockdown  which  was  announced due to second wave of covid-19 pandemic and if so, the details thereof;
- (b)whether  his  ministry  had  issued  advisory  to  State  Government  to
- disburse cash assistance to these construction workers;
- (c)if so, the details of the cash assistance disbursed and the criteria fixed for transfer of cash assistance;
- (d)whether  the  government  has  taken  steps  to  provide  employment  to these  construction  workers  who  are  migrant  labourers  working  in different states far away from their native places; and
- (e)if so, the details thereof and if not, the corrective steps taken in this regard?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SHRI BHUPENDER YADAV)

- (a) to (e): During the second surge of Covid-19 during April-June, 2021, the  lockdowns were partial,  localised,  specific  and  focused  in  terms  of timings, geography, duration, restrictions and relaxations. The construction activities, manufacturing industries, essential services and public transport were generally exempted from lockdowns imposed by the State  Governments  &  District  Administrations  and  were  functioning without much disruptions.

In the backdrop of a challenging situation due to the outbreak of Covid-19 which led to financial constraints among the Building & Other Construction  Workers  (BOCW),  the  States/UTs  were  issued  Advisory    to frame a scheme  under Section 22(1)(h) of the Building & Other Construction Workers (BOCW)  (RE&CS) Act, 1996 for transfer of adequate funds  in  the  Bank  accounts  of  construction  workers,  through  Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) Mode.

In  response,  during  the  1 st   surge  of  Covid-19,  the  State/UT BOCW Welfare Boards have cumulatively disbursed more than Rs. 5618 Crores, through DBT, to the bank accounts of 1.83 Crores  BOCW Workers during  lockdown  and  thereafter.  Food  relief  packages  have  also  been provided by the States/UTs to around 30 lakh workers from the cess fund. Further,  during  the  2 nd   surge  of  Covid-19,  Rs.  1795    Crores  have  been disbursed  through  DBT,  to  the  bank  accounts  of  1.23  Crores  BOCW Workers.  Details  of  the  cash  assistance  provided  to  BOC  workers  are enclosed at the Annexure.

*                                                   ******

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) TO (e) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 8 FOR 19.07.2021 REGARDING 'BUILDING AND OTHER CONSTRUCTION WORKERS'.

| State-wise status on Cash relief provided to BoC Workers during pandemic   | State-wise status on Cash relief provided to BoC Workers during pandemic   | State-wise status on Cash relief provided to BoC Workers during pandemic   | State-wise status on Cash relief provided to BoC Workers during pandemic   | State-wise status on Cash relief provided to BoC Workers during pandemic   | State-wise status on Cash relief provided to BoC Workers during pandemic   |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Sl. No.                                                                    | Name of the                                                                | During 1 st wave of Covid-19                                               | During 1 st wave of Covid-19                                               | During 2 nd wave of Covid-19                                               | During 2 nd wave of Covid-19                                               |
| Sl. No.                                                                    | States/UTs.                                                                | Total no of BoCW workers given assistance                                  | Total amount disbursed (Rs in Cr.)                                         | Total no of BoCW workers given assistance                                  | Total amount disbursed (Rs in Cr.)                                         |
| 1                                                                          | Andhra Pradesh                                                             | 19,67,484                                                                  | 196.75                                                                     | 0                                                                          | 0                                                                          |
| 2                                                                          | Arunachal Pradesh                                                          | 3,000                                                                      | 0.6                                                                        | 0                                                                          | 0                                                                          |
| 3                                                                          | Assam                                                                      | 2,21,378                                                                   | 44.28                                                                      | 0                                                                          | 0                                                                          |
| 4                                                                          | Bihar                                                                      | 11,07,696                                                                  | 221.54                                                                     | 0                                                                          | 0                                                                          |
| 5                                                                          | Chhattisgarh                                                               | 2,02,579                                                                   | 0                                                                          | 0                                                                          | 0                                                                          |
| 6                                                                          | Goa                                                                        | 5,117                                                                      | 3.07                                                                       | 0                                                                          | 0                                                                          |
| 7                                                                          | Gujarat                                                                    | 3,74,372                                                                   | 37.44                                                                      | 0                                                                          | 0                                                                          |
| 8                                                                          | Haryana                                                                    | 3,10,935                                                                   | 154.68                                                                     | 0                                                                          | 0                                                                          |
| 9                                                                          | Himachal Pradesh                                                           | 1,33,090                                                                   | 77.34                                                                      | 0                                                                          | 0                                                                          |
| 10                                                                         | J&K (including laddakh)                                                    | 1,70,131                                                                   | 68.05                                                                      | 0                                                                          | 0                                                                          |
| 11                                                                         | Jharkhand                                                                  | 1,99,226                                                                   | 20                                                                         | 0                                                                          | 0                                                                          |
| 12                                                                         | Karnataka                                                                  | 13,62,438                                                                  | 681.22                                                                     | 19,48,000                                                                  | 584.40                                                                     |
| 13                                                                         | Kerala                                                                     | 6,94,123                                                                   | 69.44                                                                      | 6,96,129                                                                   | 69.61                                                                      |
| 14                                                                         | Madhya Pradesh                                                             | 8,91,850                                                                   | 178.37                                                                     | 12,00,000                                                                  | 120                                                                        |
| 15                                                                         | Maharashtra                                                                | 9,67,556                                                                   | 483.78                                                                     | 10,33,052                                                                  | 154.95                                                                     |
| 16                                                                         | Manipur                                                                    | 52,605                                                                     | 5.26                                                                       | 0                                                                          | 0                                                                          |
| 17                                                                         | Meghalaya                                                                  | 24,730                                                                     | 12.37                                                                      | 0                                                                          | 0                                                                          |
| 18                                                                         | Mizoram                                                                    | 51,451                                                                     | 15.44                                                                      | 0                                                                          | 0                                                                          |
| 19                                                                         | Nagaland                                                                   | 19,046                                                                     | 3.81                                                                       | 20,000                                                                     | 4                                                                          |
| 20                                                                         | Odisha                                                                     | 18,37,000                                                                  | 275.55                                                                     | 0                                                                          | 0                                                                          |
| 21                                                                         | Punjab                                                                     | 2,90,638                                                                   | 174.38                                                                     | 5,81,202                                                                   | 87.18                                                                      |
| 22                                                                         | Rajasthan                                                                  | 7,58,102                                                                   | 1799.91                                                                    | 0                                                                          | 0                                                                          |
| 23                                                                         | Sikkim                                                                     | 7,836                                                                      | 1.57                                                                       | 0                                                                          | 0                                                                          |
| 24                                                                         | Tamil Nadu                                                                 | 13,70,601                                                                  | 274.12                                                                     | 0                                                                          | 0                                                                          |
| 25                                                                         | Telangana                                                                  | 8,30,324                                                                   | 124.55                                                                     | 0                                                                          | 0                                                                          |
| 26                                                                         | Tripura                                                                    | 39,082                                                                     | 11.72                                                                      | 0                                                                          | 0                                                                          |
| 27                                                                         | Uttar Pradesh                                                              | 18,24,771                                                                  | 353.84                                                                     | 67,00,000                                                                  | 670                                                                        |
| 28                                                                         | Uttarakhand                                                                | 2,28,423                                                                   | 45.68                                                                      | 0                                                                          | 0                                                                          |
| 29                                                                         | West Bengal                                                                | 21,98,349                                                                  | 219.83                                                                     | 0                                                                          | 0                                                                          |
| 30                                                                         | Delhi                                                                      | 43,945                                                                     | 43.95                                                                      | 2,10,684                                                                   | 105.342                                                                    |
| 31                                                                         | A&N Islands                                                                | 12,856                                                                     | 7.01                                                                       | 0                                                                          | 0                                                                          |
| 32                                                                         | Chandigarh                                                                 | 6,670                                                                      | 4                                                                          | 0                                                                          | 0                                                                          |
| 33                                                                         | Dadra &Nagar Haveli                                                        | 0                                                                          | 0                                                                          | 0                                                                          | 0                                                                          |
| 34                                                                         | Daman and Diu                                                              | 0                                                                          | 0                                                                          | 0                                                                          | 0                                                                          |
| 35                                                                         | Lakshadweep                                                                | 1,109                                                                      | 1.65                                                                       | 0                                                                          | 0                                                                          |
| 36                                                                         | Puducherry                                                                 | 35,765                                                                     | 7.15                                                                       | 0                                                                          | 0                                                                          |
|                                                                            | TOTAL                                                                      | 1,82,44,278                                                                | 5,618.35                                                                   | 1,23,89,067                                                                | 1,795.482                                                                  |

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