Large amount of money collected as welfare cess remains unspent, says RTI reply

Hindustan Times: Gurugram: Tuesday, 10 March 2020.

A large amount of money is collected from construction and real estate industry as a cess for labour welfare, but the sum spent on improving the plight of workers is quite less, an RTI reply has revealed.

As per the details shared by authorities on March 3, the government collected over ₹239 crore in the past six years as cess to be spent on the welfare of construction workers and the amount was given to the Haryana Building and Other Construction Welfare Board, Panchkula.

However, only ₹39 crore has been spent on the welfare activities of construction workers in the said period, revealed the RTI reply filed by city-based activist Aseem Takyar.

The government has imposed 1% cess to collect money for the welfare of labour and other construction workers.

As per the details in the RTI reply, the government had collected ₹38.93 crore in 2019-20 but the spend on welfare measures was only ₹3.28 crore, in 2018-2019 the amount collected was ₹21.98 crore but the spend was ₹9.65 crore, in 2017-18 the authorities collected ₹33.23 crore but spent only ₹4.35 crore, and the numbers for the previous years are also dismal.

“Cess is collected by the municipal corporation, the Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP), town planning department, and other departments at the time of approval of building plan/completion, and transferred directly to the Haryana Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board. Some cess is also received by this office but all the cess is transferred to the welfare Board,” stated deputy director, industrial health and safety, Gurugram -1, in the RTI reply.

RTI activist Takyar said that he had filed the application with the labour department to know as to how much had been collected and spent on the welfare of workers. “A lot of money has been collected, but spending is very low despite the fact that construction workers need strong welfare measures,” he said.

Rajender Saroha, joint secretary, Bhavan Nirman Kamgaar Union, Gurugram, said that more money should be spent on welfare of construction workers, and the government needs to expedite measures in this regard. “This money needs to be spent on welfare of construction workers who are the most needy,” he added.