Govt adopts Central labour scheme, old ones not scrapped

Karam Prakash

Tribune News Service

Patiala, October 3

The Punjab Government has adopted the updated Model Welfare Scheme for registered construction workers in the state. But ignoring the guidelines of the Union Ministry of Labour and Employment, it has not shunned the existing schemes, thereby diluting the sole purpose of the said scheme.

The new welfare scheme reads, “At the outset, it is made clear that the social security benefits of the Model Welfare Scheme as mentioned below will hold precedence over all the existing benefits and that only after meeting these priority expenses, any balance of the fund may be utilised for giving additional benefits under Section 22(H) of the Act.”

The Supreme Court, on March 19, 2018, had said, “The state governments and UTAs have framed, haphazardly, a large number of schemes, allegedly for the benefit of the construction workers. The multiplicity of schemes brings to mind the adage: too many cooks spoil the broth.”

Subsequently, the Supreme Court had asked the Union Labour Ministry for a composite Model Scheme for construction workers. Following the orders, on October 30, 2018, the Central Government directed all state governments to strictly comply with the Model Welfare Scheme.

Under this scheme, there are supposed to be only seven welfare schemes for the benefit of the construction workers. However, the state will now be implementing the scheme without shunning the 10 existing ones, thereby, giving more scope of corruption.

The said model scheme was expected to curb the misuse and poor implementation of too many welfare schemes.

It is pertinent to mention that fake registrations and various anomalies were detected under the existing schemes in the first-ever audit of the State Labour Welfare Board.

Seemingly, the new welfare scheme adopted by the state government is old wine in new bottle, say experts.

The new Model Welfare Scheme, espoused by the Centre, was aimed at giving minimum basic social security benefits to maximum construction workers. However, the state, by not implementing the model scheme in its letter and spirit, has already diluted the purpose of the scheme.

Meanwhile, VK Janjua, Principal Secretary, Labour Department, said, “Only after going through the Supreme Court orders and Central ministry’s guidelines we have adopted the scheme. The decision to continue the existing schemes was a collective one. We have provisions to carry the existing schemes under the Act.”

Janjua claimed that steps were being taken to curb the misuse of the schemes and give benefits to actual construction workers.