Construction workers’ registration: District committees to enroll labourers from all sectors
To increase the registration of construction workers so that they can avail various welfare schemes, the state government has widened the task of district level committees, headed by district collectors, to enroll the maximum number of labourers from all sectors in the districts.
Officials from the labour department said a district-level committee was formed to register the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) workers, as construction labourers in 2013.
But the registration of workers did not jump much, said an official. Till September 2017, there were 6,43,369 registered labourers with the Maharashtra Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board. Of them, 3,12,696 were active labourers who had renewed their registrations.
“As per a survey of the National Sample Survey Organisation, there were in all 27.53 lakh construction workers in 2015-2016. But only 6.10 lakh are registered with us and only 3.12 lakh are active workers. There is a need to increase registrations, and renew them. So, we have decided to widen the scope of the existing district level committee for it,” added the official.
The official further said the current district level committees have been given the task of registering MGNREGS workers and did not include the registration of other establishments having construction workers in the districts.
“Now, the district committees have been entrusted with the task of registering all workers from the construction establishments. They will take a regular review of the registration and provide welfare schemes for the construction workers,” said the official adding that the committee would also resolve all the issues regarding the registration and providing schemes.
The committee, headed by the district collector, will have members from the municipal corporation, Zilla Parishad, Irrigation and Public Works Department, Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation and a legislator with others.
Another official said the number of registered workers may go up in the coming months. “Since all the construction establishments have been covered now, we hope the registration numbers may go up soon. We want to reach out to maximum construction workers for enrolling them. Besides, we will make the workers aware about renewal as many of them are not doing so now. So, they are ineligible for availing the welfare schemes,” added the official.
For all the latest Mumbai News, download Indian Express App