Nearly 50% of construction workers' welfare cess funds unutilised

As on March 31, only Rs 64,193 crore was spent on workers' welfare, while Rs 47,800 crore remained unutilised

Nearly half of the Rs 1.12 trillion collected by states and Union Territories (UTs) as the building and other construction workers’ welfare cess remained unutilised till March 31 this year, a Business Standard analysis has revealed.

   

States and UTs are mandated to have a building and other construction worker welfare board (BOCWWB) under the Building and Other Construction Workers Act, 1996. Every construction work within a state with a total cost of more than Rs 10 lakh, excluding the cost of land, is levied a cess of 1 per cent, to be used for the welfare of workers.