Portal to be opened for workers whose work slips found valid: Haryana minister Anil Vij

Haryana Labour Minister Anil Vij on Friday said a portal would soon be opened and IDs reactivated for workers whose work slips are found valid following an investigation into irregularities in the Labour Department.

He said workers whose work slips are found invalid would also be given an opportunity to be heard. Such workers will be required to submit representations before the designated committee or authority.

Vij said reports have been received from committees constituted in 22 districts under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioners to probe irregularities related to work slips (90-day work receipts) under the Haryana Building and Construction Workers Welfare Board. The investigation revealed that nearly 90 per cent of the work slips were fake.

According to the minister, out of 21,78,523 work slips examined, only 2,70,945 were found valid, while 19,07,578 were identified as fraudulent.

The Labour Minister said a proposal in this regard was sent to the Chief Minister and has been approved. It has now been forwarded to a high-level committee constituted by the government for recommendations. Implementation will proceed after the committee’s approval.

Vij noted that major irregularities in work slips under the Welfare Board came to light last year, with preliminary findings suggesting a scam of around Rs 1,500 crore. He had earlier urged the Chief Minister to initiate a thorough probe by a reputed investigation agency, following which the government constituted a high-level committee to submit a comprehensive report on funds disbursed to fake workers.

He further said initial investigations in Hisar, Kaithal and Jind districts revealed large-scale irregularities. Subsequently, Deputy Commissioners across all districts were directed to form district-level committees comprising Labour Department officials and three additional officers. These committees conducted physical verification of online work slips, confirming that around 90 per cent were fake.

The minister said investigations have so far covered 22 districts over the past two years, though the scheme has been in operation since 2008. Work slips of beneficiaries who availed benefits since 2008 may also be examined.

He added that the estimated scam amount of Rs 1,500 crore for the two-year period could rise further, potentially reaching thousands of crores. Action is also being considered against those found guilty.

Vij said it had become evident that in many cases workers were fraudulently registered and fake work slips were generated to enable ineligible persons to avail benefits of government schemes. On average, a worker receives benefits worth around Rs 2.5 lakh, leading to significant financial loss to the government.

The Haryana Government runs several welfare schemes for construction workers, including maternity and paternity benefits, education assistance, scholarships, reimbursement for technical education, pensions, marriage assistance, medical aid, housing loans and accident compensation. The minister stressed that these benefits must reach only genuinely eligible workers who have completed at least 90 days of verified work.