Construction workers deprived of welfare schemes

SHILLONG: Only Rs 2 percent of Rs 122.89 crore labour cess was spent by the Meghalaya Building and Other Construction Worker’s Board which indicated that welfare schemes were not being implemented for the workers, the CAG said in its report.

The board was constituted on September 2, 2009 and reconstituted in April 23, last year to oversee the implementation of the welfare schemes to its beneficiaries from the funds collected by the board.

As per information furnished by the board, the CAG said the total amount of labour cess collected since inception till 2017-18 was Rs 122.89 crore while the amount spent was only Rs 2.47 crore (2 percent).

The cess so collected was not credited into the government accounts but was deposited into the board’s bank account.

“Less utilization of the cess amounts indicated that the welfare schemes were not being implemented for the workers,” the report stated.