The Union Cabinet has cleared major amendments in the law relating to construction workers that would benefit over 88.10 lakh of them.
Talking to The Hindu here after the meeting, Union Labour & Welfare Minister Mallikarjun Kharge said the salient features of the amendments include removing the clause that construction workers should have worked a minimum of 90 days to register with the labour welfare boards set up in various States; and doing away with the upper age limit of 60 years for availing of benefits under the scheme.
The amendments approved by the Cabinet to the Building & Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996, and the Building & Other Construction Workers’ Welfare Cess Act, 1996, would be legalised by tabling a Bill in this regard in the winter session of Parliament, Mr. Kharge said. The amendments would facilitate speedy implementation of these Acts by the Central and State governments, he added.
The changes also seek to empower State governments to file complaints for any contravention of provisions. As per estimates of the National Sample Survey (2009-10), there are about 4.46 crore building and other construction workers but only less than 25 per cent of them have registered themselves with the Welfare Boards to enjoy benefits.