Delhi’s construction workers to get labour smart cards

Delhi will soon issue chip-enabled smart cards for construction workers, ensuring access to welfare schemes and improving transparency in fund management.

New Delhi

The smart cards, embedded with encrypted data, will be issued to all registered construction workers and renewed annually, an official said. (Representative photo)

The Delhi government will soon roll out the distribution of chip-enabled smart cards for construction workers, with a process to appoint an agency to design, implement and operate the system underway, officials aware of the matter said on Thursday. The card will help registered workers to avail of government welfare schemes, they said.

The smart cards, embedded with encrypted data, will be issued to all registered construction workers and renewed annually, an official said. The cards will serve as a secure, single identity, linking workers’ registration details with benefits received, thereby preventing duplication and misuse.

The initiative is expected to particularly benefit migrant labourers who frequently move across districts and states for work, ensuring uninterrupted access to welfare schemes without the need for repeated registrations, an official, who did not wish to be named, said.

A dedicated cess management portal will digitise the collection of the 1% construction cess levied on builders and firms to the Delhi Building and Other Construction Workers’ Welfare Board (DBOCWWB) and track funds from assessment to payment. This is aimed at improving transparency, compliance and planning, the official said.

Officials said Aadhaar-based verification and integration with national platforms, such as the e-Shram portal, will ensure accurate targeting of benefits. The roll-out will be phased, supported by awareness campaigns and coordination with stakeholders.