Delhi govt releases grant worth Rs 11.6 crore to 23,256 workers affected by construction

The Delhi government on Monday released a grant worth Rs 11.6 crore to 23,256 workers who had been affected by the recent ban on construction activities here due to air pollution, officials said. The Kejriwal government is committed to work for the welfare of construction workers in Delhi and provide them a dignified life, according to a statement issued by the Deputy Chief Minister's Office.

"In view of the same, it has sent out a grant amount of Rs 5,000 each as a subsistence grant, to the accounts of 23,256 construction workers," it said. The government has released Rs 11.6 crore for these workers affected by the construction ban due to pollution, and the money will reach their bank accounts in two days, the statement said.

This grant was announced by the government last November in view of the ban on construction activities due to air pollution. They had not received the amount due to a "glitch" in connection with their bank accounts, it said. Every construction worker who has completed the bank amendment till March 23 this year has received Rs. 5,000 in the current installment, the statement said.

In the first phase, the government had provided an assistance of Rs 245 crore to 4.92 lakh workers registered with the Delhi Building and other Construction Workers Welfare Board, immediately after the ban was announced in November, the government said. After this, an amount of Rs 41.9 crore was distributed to 83,000 workers on Holi this year. In the current instalment, an amount of Rs 11.6 crore has been distributed to over 23,000 construction workers who have successfully updated their bank account, it said.

This assistance amount will reach the workers' accounts within two working days. This amount has been given to all the construction workers registered with the construction board before November 24, 2021, the statement said. In November last year, construction activities in Delhi were called off due to rise in levels of air pollution. This affected the livelihood of many construction workers, it said.

To compensate for the losses and provide support to the construction workers, the Delhi government had announced a grant of Rs 5,000 to each construction worker and an amount of Rs 350 crore was released for this, the statement said.

"Delhi government is standing with the construction workers at every step of the way. They are the backbone of our progress and provide strength to our nation. Our city and its buildings are a result of the sweat and toil of construction workers. Therefore, taking care of their interests is the main priority of the Delhi government," Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia was quoted as saying in the statement.

There are about 11 lakh construction workers in Delhi, out of which nine lakh workers are registered with the Construction Workers' Welfare Board, he said. "I urge the workers who have not received the assistance due to issues with their bank details, to get these requirements by the bank, updated as soon as possible," Sisodia said.

"They can get their bank account details modified free of cost on the e-district website. The assistance amount will be sent to their accounts by the government in the next payment cycle. They can also seek assistance from Shramik Mitra who are present at Vidhan Sabha to assist workers on updating their bank details and completion of registration process," he said. The deputy chief minister appealed to construction workers to get themselves registered with the Board at the earliest avail the benefits of the welfare schemes provided by the government.

Currently, the government is running over 14 welfare schemes for construction workers and their families. These schemes are related to education, health benefits, marriage, maternity, pension etc, he said.