JAGATSINGHPUR: Jobless construction workers in Jagatsinghpur continue to reel under the impact of Covid-19 as fake labour IDs and absence of Aadhaar seeding have deprived them of the relief they expected from the recovery package announced by the State government.
Around 70,000 registered construction worker, during the first wave, were supposed to get an assistance of Rs 1,500 each to to tide over the pandemic.
The funds were provided to respective panchayats which distributed the money among the beneficiaries. Around 90 per cent of workers received the aid last year.
This year, during the second wave, it was decided to implement the scheme through direct benefit transfer (DBT).
However, the Department of Labour has been able to disburse money to only 40,000 beneficiaries.
The rest 30,000 have not been able to avail the aid - reasons : some do not have their Aadhaar seeded to their bank accounts while many were found to be in possession of fake labour IDs which came to the fore during verification before DBT.
As per provision, either construction agency, trade union or owner of a construction firm should certify the construction worker for registration under the Labour department.
Similarly, the verifying agency should be registered with the office of the Deputy Labour Commissioner, Cuttack under Trade Union Act.
Since many of the workers are not eligible to receive aid under government schemes for various reasons, they have resorted to paying unscrupulous people who have formed fake construction agencies to get them registered.
Jyotsna Mallick of Rahama within Tirtol police limits says she paid Rs 1,800 to a group of people who promised to get her registered as a construction worker under the Labour department two years back.
“Last year, I received the aid through our panchayat but this year I was told that my labour card is fake which deprives me of any benefits,” she said.
Biswajit Das from Termanpur too went through similar issue and said that around 70-80 people, who fell prey to false promises, decided to file a complaint with Tirtol police and were in the process of collecting signatures of the victims for the same.
But the fraudsters, with the intervention of the local leaders, promised to return their money within a stipulated time following which the aggrieved workers decided not to take the matter forward.
District Labour Officer Anand Ranjan Das said second wave assistance has been disbursed to many workers through DBT.
“We’re trying to spread awareness regarding linking of bank accounts to Aadhaar among villagers.” he added.