Lok Sabha Question No. 176 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-21
Subject: Healthcare and Safety for the Construction Labourers
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Shri Harish Chandra Meena

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 176 TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.07.2025

HEALTHCARE AND SAFETY FOR THE CONSTRUCTION LABOURERS †176. SHRI HARISH CHANDRA MEENA:

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

- (a)the details of the steps taken by the Government to address the professional hazards  like  Cancer,  Musculoskeletal  diseases, respiratory issues and other health problems;
- (b)the details of the initiatives taken by the Government to implement extant professional safety laws including ensuring the availability of safety gears like Steel toe boots, Hard Hat, Ear mufflers, mask and harness at the construction sites;
- (c)the details of the measures taken by the Government to improve construction labourers  especially  with  respect  to  mobile  health  and  cancer screening  programme  and  the  portability  of  the  Government
- the accessibility to healthcare for migrated health schemes; and
- (d)the details of the deaths of the construction labourers during the last five years and the current year including the number of cases wherein compensation granted, number of claims rejected and the cases wherein the claims are pending for disposal in the country, State-wise including Rajasthan?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## (SUSHRI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE)

- (a) to (d): The  Central  Government  is  committed  to  protect  and promote the welfare, social security, safety and health of labourers. The Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996 [BOCW (RE&CS) Act,  1996]  and  Central  rules,  1998  regulate  the  employment  and conditions  of  service  of  building  and  other  construction  workers, provide for their safety, health and welfare measures and for other matters  connected  therewith  or  incidental  thereto.  Further,  the BOCW Central Rules, 1998 (Rules 34 -232) lay out detailed provisions which are given below:

Chapter  VI,  provides  for  provisions  related  to  safety  of workers' Eye protection and safety from electrical hazards, Chapter XII has provisions related to safety of workers engaged in demolition of buildings, Chapter XIII deals with excavation and tunneling works, Chapter XVI provides for safety belt, safety net, etc., Chapter XXI prescribes mandatory mechanism of reporting in case of accidents, provides accident enquiring procedures, etc., Chapter XXIV Occupational health services for the construction workers.

In order to safeguard the interest of the Migrant workers, the  Government  has  enacted  the  Inter-State  Migrant  Workmen (Regulation  of  Employment  and  Conditions  of  Services)  Act,  1979 which, inter alia, provides for registration of certain establishments employing Inter-State Migrant Workers, licensing of contractors etc. Workers  employed  with  such  establishment  are  to  be  provided payment  of  minimum  wages,  journey  allowance,  displacement and allowance, residential accommodation, medical facilities protective clothing etc.

The Chief Labour Commissioner (Central) [CLC(C)] organization through its field offices enforces various provisions of the BOCW (RE&CS) Act 1996 and the rules made thereunder ensuring the safety measures of workers working in construction sites in the Central  Sphere.  Regular  inspections  are  conducted  as  per  the Inspection Scheme of the Ministry of Labour & Employment. State Labour Departments conduct similar inspections in their respective States.

Further, in order to augment the efforts in the direction of safety  and  health  of  construction  workers,  'Construction  Advisory eral of Factory Advice Service & Labour Institutes (DGFASLI), Mumbai that has initiated various certificate courses in the field of Construction

Service (CAS) Division' has been created in Directorate Gen Safety.

Under Section 22 of the BOCW Act, 1996 State Welfare Boards  provide  benefits  such  as  accident  assistance,  pensions, housing  loans,  group  insurance,  educational  support,  maternity benefits, and medical benefits.

Relevant  provisions  of  the  BOCW  Act,1996  have  been subsumed in the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 (OSH Code) and Code on Social Security, 2020 (SS Code).

Respective State BOCW Welfare Boards maintain updated data on deaths, compensation granted, rejected or pending. Major causes include falls, road accidents, and electrocution.

As per details reported by Nation Health Authority the 14 States viz. Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Uttar  Pradesh,  Nagaland,  Chandigarh,  Gujarat,  Himachal  Pradesh, Madhya  Pradesh,  Sikkim,  Telangana,  Tripura,  Bihar,  Punjab  have signed  Memorandum  and  Understanding  (MoU)  with  State  Health Authority in the concerned States for coverage of building/construction  workers  under  Ayushman  Bharat  -Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY).

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