SC pulls up Maharashtra govt over inadequate efforts for the welfare of construction workers
The Supreme Court Thursday said it was “shocking” that out of about 70,000 registered building and construction workers in Mumbai, only 11,000 have got the benefit of an Act meant for their welfare and its implementation was a “complete flop”.
The court was informed by the counsel appearing for Maharashtra that around 70,000 construction workers are registered in Mumbai but benefits of the Building and Other ConstructionWorkers (Regulation and Employment and Conditions of Service) Act 1996, have been given to about 11,000 workers.
“What has happened to the balance 59,000 workers is not known. What are the benefits are given to these 11,000 workers is not known? This is shocking,” said the bench of Justices Madan B Lokur, Deepak Gupta and Hemant Gupta.
The court has posted the matter for hearing in the third week of January.
The apex court had earlier said it was “extremely unfortunate” that around 5,000 construction workers in Mumbai were not registered under the Act and had asked the state to identify the contractors and builders who have employed these workers without they being registered.
It had observed that due to non-registration, these construction workers would not get the benefit of provisions of the Act.
Source: Devdiscourse