Lok Sabha Question No. 1813 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-07-31
Subject: Labourers Working in Construction Sites
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: M. Selvaraj, T. R. Paarivendhar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1813 TO BE ANSWERED ON 31.07.2023

## LABOURERS WORKING IN CONSTRUCTION SITES

1813. SHRI M. SELVARAJ: DR. T.R. PAARIVENDHAR:

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

- (a)whether many labourers at construction sites are working without any safety measures and not provided safety equipments and if
- so, the details thereof;
- (b)whether  many  sanitary  workers  are  also  working  without  any
- safety measures such as gloves, masks etc.;
- (c)if so, the details thereof;
- (d)whether  the  Government  proposes  to  issue  a  SOP  (Standard Operation  Procedure)  for  the  safety  measure  to  be  taken  for labourers and safai Karamcharis/sanitary workers; and
- (e)the  necessary  steps  taken/being  taken  by  the  Government  to ensure the safety of labourers and sanitary workers across the country?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SHRI RAMESWAR TELI)

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

The  regular  inspections  are  conducted  by  the  Chief Labour Commissioner (Central) Organisation in the Central Sphere the provisions of the Building and Other Construction Workers (RE&CS)

and appropriate action taken where necessary under Act, 1996.

Moreover, the provisions as stipulated in Contract Labour (Regulation & Abolition) Act, 1970 and Building and Other Construction Workers (REACS) Act, 1996 ensuring the safety measures of workers working in sanitation in the Central Sphere is regularly monitored through inspections conducted by the O/o Chief Labour Commissioner (Central) and appropriate action is taken by the Inspecting Authorities including initiation of prosecution cases against defaulters under the extant laws.

Further, as per information received from Department of Social Justice & Empowerment vide O.M. dated 25-07-2023 Central Government has also notified 'Prohibition on Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Rules, 2013 (MS Rules, 2013)' under which it is mandatory for the employer to provide the safety gear,  devices  and  ensure  safety  precautions  as  prescribed  in  the Rules. Under these Rules, the worker engaged for cleaning sewer or septic tank is also required to be provided life insurance cover for Rs. 10 lakhs for which the premium shall be paid by the employer.

- The following initiatives have been taken by the Central Government so as to ensure safety of labourers and sanitary workers across the country as per inputs received from Department of Social
- (e): Justice & Empowerment vide O.M. dated 25-07-2023:-
- (i) Under  Swachhta  Udyami  Yojana  of  NSKFDC,  concessional loans are provided to safai karamcharis, manual scavengers & their dependants and the Urban Local Bodies & other agencies responsible  for  cleaning  for  procurement  of  sanitation  related instruments/vehicles  for  complete  mechanization  of  all  cleaning operations.
- (ii) Under Central Sector Self Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation  of  Manual  Scavengers  (SRMS)  in  addition  to  the manual scavengers, the sanitation workers and their dependants are also provided capital subsidy upto Rs. 5.00 lakh for procurement of  instruments/vehicles  for  mechanized  cleaning  of  sewers  and septic tanks.

- (iii) Workshops are organized in municipalities with the officers, engineers,  contractors,  sanitation  workers  etc.  of  urban  local bodies to sensitize them about safe and healthy cleaning practices and mechanized cleaning of sewers & septic tanks. About 203 such workshops have been organized in the F.Y. 2022-23 in various urban local bodies (ULBs) pan India.
- (iv) A short duration training programme (RPL) is organized for the sanitation workers wherein they are trained in mechanized cleaning, safe & healthy cleaning practices, safety precautions, use of  PPE  kits.  Such  training  has  been  provided  to  about  26946 sanitation workers in F.Y. 2021-22 and 2022-23 PAN India.

Further, for the welfare of the labourers i.e. construction Other strengthening Implementation  Machinery'  was  prepared  and  forwarded  by  this Ministry to all the States/UTs for its strict compliance vide its O.M.

workers, a 'Model  W elfare Scheme for Building and Construction Workers and Action Plan for dated 30-10-2018.

Moreover, several instructions under Section 60 of the BOCW(RE&CS) Act, 1996 have been  issued  from  time  to  time  to State/UT BOCW Welfare Boards for optimum utilization of the cess funds for the social security and other welfare measures of the BOC workers which include the benefits of welfare schemes of the State Welfare  Boards  and  social  security  schemes  of  the  Central/State Governments  like Health Insurance  Scheme  through  PM-JAY (Ayushman  Bharat),  Life  and  Disability  Cover  through  PM-Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana, PM-Suraksha Bima Yojana and Life-long Pension after  60  years  through  PM-Shram  Yogi  Maandhan  Yojana  and subsistence  allowance  during  unemployment,  illness,  epidemics, natural calamities by using cess fund collected for the welfare of BOC workers.

In  order  to  provide  old  age  protection,  Government  of India  launched  Pradhan  Mantri  Shram  Yogi  Maan-Dhan  (PM-SYM)

pension scheme in 2019.

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