Construction ban: Delhi govt to provide ₹5,000 per month aid for labourers

A government official said this assistance will be extended to at least a million registered construction workers, and the labour ministry will spend ₹500 crore a month under this programme.

With the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) imposing Stage 3 of the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) from October 29, which brings with it a ban on construction and demolition across the National Capital Region (NCR), Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday announced that his government will give ₹5,000 per month to support construction workers affected by the stoppage in work.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. (ANI)

“Construction activities have been stopped across Delhi in view of pollution. I have directed Labour Minister, Sh Manish Sisodia, to give ₹5000 pm as financial support to each construction worker during this period, when construction activities are not permitted,” Kejriwal tweeted.

A government official said this assistance will be extended to at least a million registered construction workers, and the labour ministry will spend ₹500 crore a month under this programme.

“The assistance amount will be deposited directly in the accounts of the registered construction workers soon. Last year, the government spent ₹350 crore to support 0.7 million construction workers,” the official said.

On October 29, the CAQM ordered Grap Stage 3 restrictions in NCR, according to which a strict ban on construction and demolition activities needs to be enforced, barring major infrastructure projects related to railway services, metro, airports and defence activities and linear public projects such as highways, flyovers, etc.

Almost all construction activities will come under the ban if CAQM imposes Stage 4 restrictions, which it will when the AQI crosses 450.

The Delhi government has deployed 586 teams to monitor the ban on construction works.

On November 24, 2021, the Supreme Court imposed a ban on construction activities in Delhi-NCR until further orders. Non-polluting construction activities such as plumbing work, interior decoration, electrical work and carpentry were allowed to continue. The apex court had also asked authorities to use funds collected as labour cess for the welfare of construction workers to provide them subsistence for the duration of the ban. The number of workers registered with the Delhi Construction Worker Board has since increased from 0.6 million to 1 million.