Govt launches 17 schemes for construction workers

PORVORIM/PONDA: Labour and Employment Minister Rohan Khaunte on Tuesday launched 17 schemes for building construction workers and other construction workers covering all the stages of life.

The Goa Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board, in association with the office of the Commissioner of Labour and Employment, launched the schemes and a special drive was conducted in Porvorim on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti for registration of construction workers.

On the occasion, over 15 beneficiaries from the construction industry were distributed scheme cards.

Stating that Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar was launching many small schemes to fulfil the dreams of stakeholders in the construction industry, Khaunte appealed to the workers, who attended the function in large numbers, to register themselves so that they can avail benefits under the schemes. He said that the government had put in a lot of efforts by holding several meetings with the stakeholders to come up with the schemes for the construction workers.

Khaunte said that the schemes have been designed to benefit the labour class and added that financial assistance would be provided to them for various reasons like marriages, healthcare, housing and children’s education. Besides, the schemes also provide financial assistance in case of accidents, disability and death, he said.

Stressing on the need to take these schemes to the doorsteps of the villagers, the minister said that panchayats should take the initiative to get the construction workers registered. He said females lag behind in availing benefits under the sanitation and hygiene schemes. He mentioned of a housing scheme wherein the Goa Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board will pay interest upto Rs 5 lakh.

It may be noted that the state labour department charges 1 per cent as cess on construction work, ostensibly to be spent on the welfare of labourers (especially construction workers). In order to provide benefit to these workers, the state government has formed the Goa Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board. In Goa, the welfare board exists since 2008 with a number of schemes for the welfare of construction workers and has around 3,856 registered members from around the state. However, shockingly for the last ten years, not a single member has benefitted from any of the schemes and a fund of around Rs 97 crore lies unused since the past many years.

General secretary of All India Trade Union Congress Christopher Fonseca said these schemes will never reach the workers unless they struggle and pursue them continuously. He appealed to the authorities to bring the Goan masonry workers under the schemes.

Those present on the occasion included Revati from Goa Electronics Limited, Deshprabhu Desai from CREDAI, Labour Commissioner Sandeep Bhandari among others.