TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Even as the labour unions in Goa cry foul over mass exploitation of the “working class” at the hands of the real estate lobby and state government for failing to fund welfare schemes for over lakhs of construction labourers in the state, the government records show a different picture. For, the state government has found no takers for the schemes enacted for the welfare of workers engaged in building and construction workers, since it was introduced in 2010, despite the fact that close to Rs 23 crore was collected till March 2013 for this purpose.
The government in line with the Central legislation in 2008 enacted the Building and the Other Construction Workers Welfare Cess Act, 1996, as per which one per cent cess on the total construction project would be collected to fund welfare schemes for over lakhs of construction labourers in the state. Implementation of the Act was halted in 2009 and then re-launched in 2010.
This information was provided on the floor of the assembly by Labour and Employment Minister Avertano Furtado to a question tabled by independent legislator Naresh Sawal. The minister said that since 2010, government has been collecting cess under Building and the Other Construction Workers Welfare Cess Act, 1996 for welfare of labourers.
“Efforts have been made to attract beneficiaries by giving wide publicity to the schemes. However, no building workers have so far applied for the scheme,” Furtado said.
For the financial year 2010-11, a cess of Rs 2.62 crore was collected. The collection increased for the FY 2011-12, wherein Rs 7.88 crore were collected while for 2012-13 total Rs 12.30 crore were collected.
The government records are in contradiction to the labour union claims alleging government failure in non-collection of cess.
