Coronavirus outbreak: Construction workers to get Rs 2,000 each

Migrant workers use a public toilet as a cupboard at the Civil Defence of Maharashtra Maidan in Andheri West on Saturday. Pic/Satej Shinde

The workers who are registered with the Maharashtra Building and Other Construction Workers' Welfare Board will be given a direct cash benefit of Rs 2,000 each. Although the amount is meagre, it is expected to provide the workers with some liquidity.

According to the labour minister of Maharashtra, Dilip Walse Patil, about 12 lakh workers will receive the money directly through a bank transfer to their respective accounts. "Construction work has been halted and so, these workers don't have the money required to meet their daily needs," said the minister. A notification issued on Saturday said the money would only be transferred to active and registered workers.

The welfare fund is accumulated via the collection of cess from public and private construction activities in the state. According to the information available on the board's website, it had R8,207 crore in fund deposits till September 2019. It has spent R722 crore on various schemes so far. The fund increased from 2010, after the government made it compulsory for construction projects that employ manual labourers to contribute one per cent of the project cost as labour cess.

Following the union government's advice to the CMs of all states to use welfare funds to ease the workers' financial burden during the nationwide lockdown, former CM of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis has been demanding the same of the current state government.

8.2cr
Amount in fund deposits till September of 2019

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