The Goan Network
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Sources within the Labour Department have informed that as many as 4000 workers have already registered under the 17 new social welfare schemes launched recently by the Minister for Labour and Employment Rohan Khaunte.
Launched on October 2, there are several objectives of these schemes, including giving financial assistance to construction workers to build or repair their homes, assistance in education of their children, maternity benefits to construction workers up to two children, etc.
The schemes will be implemented under the Goa Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board (GBOCWWB).
Moreover, menstrual hygiene will also be promoted through funds with GBOCWWB and also mobile toilets will be installed.
One of the challenges with implementation of such schemes is that the construction workers move from one site to another depending upon where they get work. A lot of them are migrants, which means they don’t have a permanent residence in a village or town of Goa, where they can be educated about the welfare schemes.
A source said, “There will be absolutely no bias between local workers and migrant workers for the implementation of schemes by GBOCWWB. Moreover, these schemes are of the central government through its Ministry of Labour and Employment and are therefore not state specific.”
As of now, workers can only register offline for these schemes. But, it was informed that GBOCWWB is also working on a mechanism to make online registration possible.
Consulting company, PricewaterhouseCoopers, is working with GBOCWWB for the successful implementation of these welfare schemes.
