Frame plan for construction workers in 6 months: SC

The top court said that more than Rs 37,400 crore have been collected for the benefit of construction workers, but ostensibly only about Rs. 9,500 crores have been utilized for their benefit. 

It questioned as to why millions of construction workers across the country are being denied the benefit of remaining Rs 28,000 crore. The top court further directed all the state governments and union territories to constitute an expert committee and bring out statutory rules within six months. A bench of Justices MB Lokur and Deepak Gupta said the directions given by the court from time-to-time to implement the two laws -- The Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996 (BOCW Act) and the Building and Other Construction Workers’ Welfare Cess Act, 1996, (Cess Act) -- have been flouted with impunity. 

The top court said that every state government and Union Territory shall constitute an expert committee and frame statutory rules under provisions of the BOCW Act, if such statutory Rules have not already been framed. 

Referring to the situation of construction workers, the bench said that many of them are women and at least some of them have children to look after and “even they are victims of official apathy”. The top court passed several directions and hoped that they will be complied with by the Centre, all the states and Union Territories. 

It posted the matter for hearing on May 1, only to ascertain whether timelines have been fixed by the concerned authorities for compliance of the directions.