Bhopal : In compliance with the directives issued by the Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the State Government has issued guidelines to all the government departments, HoDs, commissioners, collectors and CEOs of Zila Panchayats with regard to recovery of cess from the construction agencies. The recovery of cess will help facilitate the smooth execution of various activities relating to labour welfare schemes.
In the orders issued by the Finance Department, it has been stated that the entire amount of one percent cess should be deposited with the Workers’ Welfare Board after recovering it from constructions agencies for the works being carried out by them through the various departments and government undertakings. These works include construction of roads, bridges, buildings, canals and dams along with the works relating to slum-clearance, MGNREGS, water supply scheme, electricity plan, railway line being carried out by the various departments of State as well as central government through the private undertakings and builders.It has been clarified in the Finance Department’s orders that with a view to bringing about necessary improvement in the social security and working conditions of construction workers, the government of India has enforced Building and other Constructions Workers’ (employment and service terms) Act-1996. The Building and other Constructions Workers’ Welfare Board has been constituted under this Act. The Board ensures the benefit of various schemes to the workers by registering them.
Moreover, the Finance Department has issued detailed directives to the recovery of cess amount under the Building and other Construction Workers Welfare Cess Act-1996. There is a provision to recover one percent cess by the Workers Welfare Board in order to extend the benefits of various welfare schemes to the workers.
It has been further stated in the directives issued by the Finance Department that the cess amount should be deposited necessarily into the account of Welfare Board by the departments and undertakings within 30 days.