To mitigate the suffering caused due to loss of livelihood of construction workers in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Wednesday announced another instalment of interim financial relief of Rs. 3100 each for all construction workers registered with the Building and Other Construction Workers (BOCW) Welfare Board.
Making this announcement on the eve of Diwali, CM Channi said, "The financial grant of Rs.3100 is a 'shagun' for the construction workers and their families on the joyous festival of lights."
The Chief Minister further said that the said amount would be directly transferred into the bank accounts of construction workers.
"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 Crores on this count," he said.
Chief Minister Channi also asked the Sarpanches and Councillors both in rural and urban areas to get maximum number of construction workers registered so that they could be immensely benefitted from various welfare schemes being extended by the Board from time to time.
The Chief Minister, who is also the Chairman of the board, informed that the said financial assistance is being extended as the livelihood of these construction workers has been impacted due to the Covid pandemic.
Assuring the workers and their families all possible support, CM Channi said his government was committed to helping the deserving and weaker sections of the society who did not have the means to fend for themselves.
Meanwhile, Labour Minister Sangat Singh Gilzian said that even though the situation is gradually stabilizing and improving, still the progress of ongoing construction projects is at a slow pace at the majority of the places and is yet to pick up.
( With inputs from ANI )
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