Free bus passes, insurance: Welfare focus on new group — labourers

Expressing his concerns regarding the paucity of such policies, the CM instructed the department to formulate an action plan to utilise at least 25% of its funds on workers’ welfare this year.

The CM has instructed the department to provide free bus passes and group life insurance along with verification of all 13 lakh registered workers. Additionally, the Delhi government has announced subsidised housing for construction workers and will also provide transit hostels to migrant labourers working in the city, said the government in a statement.

The government has announced that toolkits and skill training for masons, plumbers, electricians, carpenters, and painters will be provided on a large scale.

Kejriwal also announced free coaching for children of workers along with crèche facilities on sites.

The meeting was attended by labour minister Raaj Kumar Anand and senior officials of departments concerned.

Kejriwal also expressed his displeasure with the Board’s inability to reach out to every single construction worker of Delhi.“If the department is extending the benefit of these schemes to barely 400-500 people in the name of applications for a scheme, then there is no point running this department itself,” he said.

He directed officials to conduct a proper exercise along with teams of the revenue department to verify its registrations by this June. The CM said that pensions are given to only 500 new beneficiaries, said officials.

“Upon this, the CM directed officials to find out and submit the number of registered workers aged above 60 years within a week, so the benefit of pension can be extended,” said the government.

Further, the government is planning to allocate LIG flats to construction workers, by bearing 75% of the cost, while the beneficiary will only be liable to pay 25%.

The Chief Minister directed the board to meet with officials of land-owning agencies like the DDA, MCD, DUSIB and DSIIDC to chart out a plan as to how land can be distributed to the government to this end. He asked officials to explore the possibility of both getting constructed houses from these agencies as well as land on which the government can construct houses and hostels on its own, said officials.