Seeking benefits under welfare schemes: 91k applications of construction workers gather dust
10 officials get show-case notice; told to submit reasons by Nov 15. As many as 91,000 applications of construction workers seeking benefits under various welfare schemes are gathering dust across the state.
As many as 91,000 applications of construction workers seeking benefits under various welfare schemes are gathering dust across the state. Taking serious note of this huge pendency, the Punjab Building and Other Construction Workers (BOCW) Welfare Board has already issued a show-cause notice to 10 labour enforcement officers.
In the show-cause notice, a copy of which is with HT, the Punjab Labour Board secretary has asked labour enforcement officers why strict action should not be taken against them. In the notice, the labour inspectors have been asked to submit the reasons by November 15. The erring labour inspectors have also been asked to submit the status report of the applications received over the past two months.
The labour secretary in the show-cause notice has also said that repeated reminders had been issued over the past few months but there was no headway in clearing the pendency of applications.
Among the 10 labour enforcement officers, the highest pendency of application was found with that of Fazilka, where 31,748 applications were still pending. Ferozepur had 8,554 while Zira had 8,540 applications pending.
Sardara Singh, president, Ambedkar Workers Union, Punjab, said, “The inordinate delay by labour officials compels workers to approach middlemen. The CM, the board’s chairman, should take strict action after a through inquiry. Thousands of applications are pending for years.”
Vijay Walia, a labour rights activist, said, “The decision process should be time-bound. Construction workers should not wait for years for a decision on their applications. Time-bound resolution will fix the accountability of the respective labour inspectors. “
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