Delhi Govt Announces Free Bus Travel For All Construction Workers, To Benefit 10 Lakh Labourers

The Delhi government has made the decision to provide free bus passes to construction workers in a bid that is set to benefit approximately 10 lakh labourers. Deputy Chief Minister of the state Manish Sisodia, on May 4, handed out the passes to a group of construction workers at a function held at the Delhi Secretariat.

"Ten lakh workers have been registered in Delhi. In the last one year, the Kejriwal government distributed ₹600 crore among the 10 lakh registered workers (under various welfare schemes), which is the highest amount distributed among workers in the entire country," Sisodia was quoted as saying at the event by Mint.

Relief For Nearly 10 Lakh Labourers

During his interaction with some of the beneficiaries, Sisodia also asked them to spend the money on their families they would save because bus passes were made free.

The Delhi Deputy CM also added that all construction labourers earlier needed to spend somewhere between ₹1,000 to ₹3,000 every month for travel. However, the state government has now decided to make bus travel free for such labourers, which will directly benefit about "10 lakh labourers in the state."

Construction workers include painters, carpenters, masons, welders, and crane operators, among others.

दिल्ली में निर्माण श्रमिकों के लिए आज मुफ़्त बस पास योजना शुरू की गई। निर्माण स्थल पर काम कर रहे बेलदार, मिस्त्री, बढ़ई, इलेक्ट्रिशन, गार्ड व अन्य मज़दूर इसका लाभ उठा सकते हैं.

मुख्यमंत्री @ArvindKejriwal का प्रयास है कि मजदूरों की अधिकतम सहायता की जाए। ये दिल्ली के निर्माता है। pic.twitter.com/RlRmGrLVSv

— Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) May 4, 2022

Why Delay In Grant?

In April, the Kejriwal-led government released a grant worth ₹11.6 crore to 23,256 workers affected due to the recent ban on construction activities amid the increasing air pollution statistics in the state. This grant was first officially announced by the government in November 2021, and the workers could not obtain the amount till April amid a "glitch" in connection with their bank accounts.

According to an official release, construction workers who finished the bank amendment by March 23 this year have received ₹5,000 under the current instalment.

During the first phase, the state government had provided assistance of ₹245 crores to 4.92 lakh workers, who are registered with the Delhi Building and other Construction Workers Welfare Board, immediately after the ban was announced in November, the government said.

After this, an amount of ₹41.9 crores was distributed to 83,000 workers on Holi this year.

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