Financial assistance of ₹40 crore given to 44,000 construction workers: Sisodia

The government is in the process of registering more construction workers, whose livelihoods were badly hit during the Covid-19-induced lockdown last year, with the Delhi Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board

Delhi’s deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Tuesday said that the government has disbursed ₹40 crore to 43,945 construction workers till February 2021 as ex-gratia relief due to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.

Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia. (ANI)

The government is in the process of registering more construction workers, whose livelihoods were badly hit during the Covid-19-induced lockdown last year, with the Delhi Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board. The Delhi government had announced a relief of ₹5,000 for two months for each registered construction worker during the lockdown.

But not many workers got financial assistance during the lockdown, as most were either not registered with the board or their membership had expired. The Delhi government started a drive in August last year to register and renew their membership so that they can get financial assistance.

In February this year, Sisodia, who holds the labour portfolio, had again started a mega drive to register over one million construction workers so that they can be provided financial assistance.