CHANDIGARH: Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi announced an interim financial relief of Rs 3,100 each for registered construction workers in the state on Wednesday, a day ahead of Diwali.
"The financial grant of Rs 3,100 is a 'shagun' for construction workers and their families on the joyous festival of lights," he said.
The decision is aimed at mitigating the hardships faced by these workers due to loss of livelihood in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, an official statement said.
The amount will be directly transferred into the bank accounts of the workers registered with the Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board, it said.
The board has nearly 3.17 lakh registered construction workers across the state, and the disbursement is likely to involve an expenditure of Rs 90-100 crore, the statement said.
Earlier this year, another instalment of financial relief was given to registered construction workers in Punjab.
Channi also asked all sarpanch and councillors to get construction workers registered so that they could benefit from welfare schemes extended by the board.
The chief minister, who is also the chairman of the board, said his government was committed to help those sections of the society who did not have the means to fend for themselves.
Labour Minister Sangat Singh Gilzian said with the considerable improvement in the Covid situation, efforts are being made to accelerate the pace of construction activity across the state so as to ensure the livelihood of these workers.