New Delhi: The Ministry of Labour & Employment held the 16th Building & Other Construction Workers (BoCW) ‘Monitoring Committee Meeting’ on 13th January 2025, the Press Information Bureau (PIB) said in a statement issued Tuesday.
Secretary Sumita Dawra chaired the hybrid meeting, which was attended by more than 100 participants, including the director general of Labour Welfare, other senior ministry officials, additional chief secretaries, principal secretaries, labour commissioners of states and union territories, secretaries of BoCW Welfare Boards, central welfare commissioners, and representatives from the National Health Authority and the Department of Financial Services.
The meeting focused on expanding social security coverage for registered BoCW workers under central schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY), Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), and Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-dhan (PMSYM).
The ministry urged states and union territories to use the available cess fund for this purpose, noting that as of 30 September, 2024, about 57.3 million workers were registered with BoCW Welfare Boards nationwide.
Dawra stressed the need for BoCW Welfare Boards to strengthen their registration systems, integrate their data with the eShram portal, and ensure 100 percent coverage of social security benefits for all workers. These benefits include health insurance, accidental benefits, and timely payment of minimum wages. She also emphasized the need for an effective grievance redressal mechanism and training for workers in safety measures and modern building techniques.
Other topics discussed included using the BoCW Cess Fund to build educational institutions and schools, conducting Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) and social audits, ensuring data submission on the BoCW Management Information System (MIS) portal, and implementing an automatic benefit transfer system for BoCW workers.
The Uttarakhand and Assam BoCW Welfare Boards shared best practices from their respective states, promoting knowledge sharing among participants.
Dawra also requested all state and UT governments to organize health screenings for BoCW workers, including migrant workers, as part of the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan.