Labour Minister directs state govts, UTs to transfer funds to 3.5 cr construction workers

Union Labour Minister Santosh Kumar Gangwar on Tuesday issued an advisory for all the state and UT governments asking them to transfer funds to the 3.5 crore construction workers in the country in the wake of COVID-19 outbreak.

"Under Section 60 of the Building and Other Construction Workers Act, 1996 the central government advises the state governments/UTs to frame a scheme under Section 22(1)(h) of the Act for the transfer of adequate funds in the bank accounts of construction workers, through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT mode) from the cess fund collected by the Labour Welfare Boards," the advisory said.

It may be noted that Rs 52,000 crore is available as cess fund.

The amount to be granted to the construction workers may be decided by the respective governments, the advisory added.