Expert panel not formed by Punjab, labour welfare fund being 'misused'

Karam Prakash

Patiala, February 23

Despite the directions of the Supreme Court in 2018 and the Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, the state government has failed to form an expert committee to frame various statutory rules to implement welfare schemes of the Punjab Building and Other Construction Workers’ Welfare (BOCW) Board.

Sans committee, the board is said to have been making the rules arbitrarily, allegedly, in connivance with middleman. Consequently, eligible beneficiaries of various schemes are being deprived, and ineligible ones are enjoying the benefits of welfare schemes.

It has been learned that the board has continually (intermittently) been amending the rules, the provision of which lies with the expert committee. The board has also registered majority of the workers taking into consideration their voter ID, ration card or Aadhaar card as their age proof documents, which are not mandated as per the Act. As a result, many beneficiaries — who were not eligible — got the benefits of the welfare schemes. There are instances, wherein, the Labour Department has disbursed the amount to beneficiaries, who had died after the age of 60 years, which is also not mandated by the Act.

Meanwhile, the CAG report — published by the Punjab Vidhan Sabha in 2020 — had also mentioned that no records of holding any expert committee meetings were found with the Labour Department since long.

Vijay Walia, an activist, who has continuously been requesting the board for the formation of committee, said: “Several provisions of the BOCW Act have already been amended without an approval of the expert committee. Besides, criteria to disburse the benefits of the welfare schemes have been blatantly misused by the BOCW board. An expert committee should be formed immediately to stop further exploitation of labour funds.”

Confirming the development, Labour Department Principal Secretary Ravneet Kaur said: “I have already received a representation on the issue. The Labour Commissioner has ben directed to put up a draft in this regard.”

Welfare board violating norms

• It has been learned that the board has continually been amending the rules, the provision of which lies with the expert committee
• There are instances, wherein, the Labour Department has disbursed funds to beneficiaries, who had died after the age of 60 years, which is not mandated by the BOCW Act