Govt notifies welfare scheme for construction workers

Tribune News Service

Moga, September 29

Accepting the recommendations of the Punjab Building and Other Construction Workers’ Welfare Board, the Punjab government has issued a notification, as conveyed by the Union Government, to implement the Model Welfare Scheme for the registered construction workers in the state.

Since the model code of conduct for byelections is in place, construction workers of Ludhiana, Kapurthala, Hoshiarpur and Fazilka districts will have to wait for a few weeks.

The board has adopted both Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana under which building and other construction workers or their nominees will get an insurance coverage of Rs2 lakh in case of a natural death and Rs4 lakh in case of an accidental death, along with disability benefits.

It has also adopted the Ayushman Bharat Scheme of the Union Government, giving it an additional name of Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana Scheme for Punjab.

Under this, workers and their family members will get a medical insurance coverage of Rs5 lakh for cashless treatment from the empanelled hospitals.

It has adopted the Education Scheme of Model Welfare Scheme to provide financial assistance (Rs3,000 to Rs70,000) for the education of labourers’ wards.

In collaboration with the Skill Development Mission, the board will also make arrangements for skill development of the beneficiaries and their wards.

Central schemes will include maternity benefit (Rs21,000 and Rs5,000 for mother and father, respectively), Shagun (Rs31,000) for marriage of girl, LTC (Rs2,000) once in two years, help for purchase of health aid, cremation, girl child birth (Rs51,000), assistant for mentally and physically disabled kids, etc.

It is worth mentioning here that the Supreme Court had set September 30 as deadline for the Centre to finalise a welfare scheme for construction workers.