– Several initiatives by Punjab Govt for construction & building workers welfare
– 1.3 lakh construction workers and their families covered under 5 lakh rupees Mukh Mantri Sehat Bima Yojana
– Now workers can get surgeries, operations, etc for free even in private hospitals
– 80,000 labour and other welfare scheme cards issued in just 4 months
– Labour cards and schemes pendency reduced by 75% within 4 months
– Punjab ushering new era of workers’ welfare
Chandigarh, May 1:
Punjab’s Labour Minister, Tarunpreet Singh Sond, extended warm greetings to all workers on the occasion of Labour Day. Addressing a press conference at Punjab Bhawan, he highlighted that the government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann is committed to the welfare of workers and has taken several significant initiatives to enhance their quality of life.
He informed that under the Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board, over Rs 90 crore was disbursed to more than 41,000 registered workers through various schemes in the last financial year. This includes Rs 45 crore stipend scheme for workers’ children, Rs 28 crore as ex-gratia assistance, Rs 11 crore for health insurance and surgeries, and over Rs 85 lakh under the Balri Tohfa Scheme. Additionally, the Labour Welfare Board disbursed Rs 17.15 crore to 6,737 beneficiaries during the same period.
The Minister noted that from January to April 2025, around 80,000 pending applications related to labour cards and welfare schemes were resolved. The backlog, which previously stood at 1.1 lakh, has now been brought down to 30,000.
Under the Mukh Mantri Sehat Bima Yojana, 1.3 lakh construction workers and their families have been covered, providing Rs. 5 lakh health insurance per family for critical healthcare services such as cardiac care, cancer treatment, neuro surgery, orthopedic surgeries and dialysis and kidney care.
Sond stated that in the financial year 2024–25, a record Rs 287 crore has been collected as labour cess, the highest in the past four years. Comparatively, Rs 203.94 crore was collected in 2021–22, Rs 208.92 crore in 2022–23, and Rs 180 crore in 2023–24.
The Minister further mentioned that several schemes have been simplified to ensure ease of access for workers. In the Shagun Scheme of the Punjab Building Workers Welfare Board, the earlier requirement of a marriage certificate issued by a Tehsildar has been removed. Now, a certificate from the religious institution where the marriage was solemnized, along with a self-declaration from both families, will suffice. Under this scheme, an amount of Rs 51,000 is provided. Similarly, maternity benefits of Rs 21,000 for female construction workers and Rs 5,000 for male workers are now provided upon submission of the child’s birth certificate only, removing the earlier requirement of a child’s Aadhaar card.
The Labour Minister also announced that in the Labour Welfare Board’s schemes, the condition of submitting a government marriage certificate has been removed. Instead, a certificate from the religious institution and a photograph of the ceremony will be accepted. Under this scheme, Rs 31,000 is provided. Additionally, the time frame for applying under the maternity benefit scheme has been extended from the previous three months before and after childbirth to a more flexible six months post-delivery.
Minister Sond highlighted that MNREGA workers who have completed over 90 days of work are being encouraged to register with the Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board to avail all associated benefits. To facilitate this, Form No. 27, required during registration, has been simplified and is now available in Punjabi and Hindi.
In a further move to support workers’ families, eligibility conditions for the stipend scheme for workers’ children have been eased. Previously, a worker needed to be registered for at least two years with the Labour Welfare Board to apply for scholarships. This requirement has now been waived; any registered worker can now apply immediately for their child’s scholarship.
He further informed that the government has also reduced the processing time for scheme approvals. Previously, schemes required clearance from SDM Committees and Deputy Commissioners. Now, except for Ex-Gratia, Balri Rakshak, and Shagun Scheme, all other schemes no longer need such approvals. The number of approval stages has been reduced from 9 to just 7, shortening the benefit disbursement time from six months to only one month.
Tarunpreet Singh Sond made an appeal to all workers in Punjab involved in construction or manual labour who have worked for more than 90 days in a year to register with the Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board. Registration can be done at Seva Kendras or through the “Kirti Sahayak App” available on Google Play Store.
He also urged industrialists across Punjab to ensure their workers are registered with the Labour Welfare Board and are enabled to access the welfare schemes meant for their benefit.
