Year on, construction workers await relief

Karam Prakash
Tribune News Service
Patiala, April 16

Even after a year, hundreds of construction workers in the state haven’t received financial assistance, which was meant to fight the financial onslaught of the Covid-induced lockdown. The aid was announced for registered construction workers last year. Workers have been running from pillar to post to get the aid as the department has failed to transfer the due amount to their bank accounts.

The state government had announced two installments of Rs 3,000 to allay the economic impact of the lockdown. The Tribune found that around hundreds of workers in the home district of the CM – the ex officio chairman of the Punjab Building and Other Construction Workers’ Welfare Board – have not received the amount. Local dealing officials claimed they had sent multiple reminders to the state Labour Department in this regard.

Ranjit Kaur of Thuhi village said, “The government has failed to protect the construction workers from financial burden of the lockdown. I wrote to the Nabha Labour Inspector in July, but I have not received any amount till now.”

Vijay Walia, an activist fighting for the construction workers, said, “The CM, who is the chairman of the labour board, should have checked whether the grants have reached genuine beneficiaries or not.”

VK Janjua, Principal Secretary, Labour Department, said, “A majority of the workers have already received the amount. I will ask officials concerned to immediately transfer the amount to the workers.”