New Delhi, Aug 18 (IANS) The government has collected Rs.2,837 crore as cess to be spent on the welfare of construction workers across the country, parliament was informed Wednesday.
In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Labour and Employment Harish Rawat said that the cess collecting authorities set up in 31 states and union territories have collected Rs.2,837 crore.
The state advisory committees have so far registered 59 lakh construction workers, which is comparatively a smaller number compared to the 2004-5 National Sample Survey’s estimate of 250 lakh construction workers in the country.
The government said that the Rs.711 crore has so far been spent on welfare activities for the workers.
In 1996, the government formulated the Building and Other Construction Workers’ Welfare Cess Act, with a view to regulating the wages, working conditions, safety and health and welfare measures of construction workers.
The state governments were supposed to notify rules, set up advisory committees, register workers and constitute welfare boards under the law.
As per the act, the funds were sourced from the collection of cess which is one percent of the cost of construction incurred by employer.
So far, 27 states have constitute state advisory committees.
‘The Central Government is also monitoring the implementation of the act by the atates and impressing upon the states for formulating and implementing welfare schemes for construction workers,’ said Rawat.
