Question : Building and Construction Workers

(a)whether the Union Government has advised State Governments regarding State Labour Welfare Boards that must use the Building and Other Construction Worker’s Cess (BOCW) Fund for health, nutrition, protection, and care for children of all construction workers irrespective of their registration in the State Labour Welfare Board in India and specially in West Bengal and if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise along with future initiative in this regard, if not, the reasons therefor;
(b)the financial status of Welfare Boards formed for building and other construction workers in Maharashtra along with the number of members whose welfare schemes related claims are lying pending along with the district-wise list of the registered workers in Maharashtra;
(c)the district wise number and details of beneficiaries in Maharashtra who have been disbursed funds under various schemes during the last five years and the total amount of funds distributed to the beneficiaries;
(d)the amount collected in BOCW Cess Fund and the details of the activity undertaken through the BOCW cess since 2014, year-wise; and
(e)the details of the funds allocated to the State of Telangana from the BOCW cess for the Covid relief measures?

MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
(SHRI RAMESWAR TELI)

(a): Relevant instructions under Section 60 of the BOCW(RE&CS) Act, 1996 have been issued from time to time by the Central Government to State/UT BOCW Welfare Boards, including to the State of West Bengal, for optimum utilization of the cess funds for the social security and other welfare measures for the BOC workers and their families, which may include the benefits of welfare schemes of the State Welfare Boards and social
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security schemes of the Central/State Governments and for implementation of the provisions of the Act. Model Welfare Scheme on life and disability cover, health and maternity cover, education of wards of BOC workers, transit housing, skill development, pension and awareness programs was also circulated to the State BOCW Welfare Boards.
(b) & (c): It is the duty of the Building and Other Construction Workers’ (BoCW) welfare Boards of the States/ UTs to maintain the data of construction workers in respect of their State/UT including data related to claims and fund distribution to beneficiaries under various schemes. As per the data received from Maharashtra BOCW Welfare Board (MBOCWWB), the details about the financial status of MBOCWWB is as follows:
Cess collected cumulative
(Rs. in crore) Expenditure cumulative
(Rs. in Crore) Balance available
(Rs in crore)
[including Bank’s interest]
11794 3181.67 8612.33

(d): The implementation of Welfare schemes relating to life and disability cover, health and maternity cover, transit housing, skill development, financial assistance for education of wards etc. of Building and Other Construction Workers has been entrusted upon State/UT BOCW Welfare Boards under Section 22 of the Act and, therefore, such detailed data is maintained at the State/UT level only. However, as per the data received from State/UT BOCW Welfare Boards is as follows:
Year Cess collected cumulative (Rs. in crore)
Upto 31.03.2014 14,099.16
2014-15 19,720.34
2015-16 26,962.18
2016-17 32,632.96
2017-18 42,505.78
2018-19 49,688.07
2019-20 54,323.19
2020-21 67,197.26
2021-22
(upto Dec, 2021) 78,521.24

(e): As per the information available, an amount of Rs. 124.55 Crore was disbursed to 8,30,324 BOC Workers in Telangana as Covid relief measures

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