PANAJI
The Goa Government has launched an IntegratedEnterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System for the Goa Labour Welfare Board andthe Goa Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board, with ChiefMinister Pramod Sawant saying the digital system will improve registration,simplify applications and ensure welfare benefits reach workers moreefficiently.
The system has been introduced with thesupport of RailTel, a public sector undertaking under the Government of India.It will bring welfare board operations, applications and records onto a digitalplatform, with integration of services including Goa Online, DigiLocker, onlineapplications and payment systems.
Speaking at the launch in the presence ofLabour Minister Atanasio Monserrate, Labour Commissioners, Labour Departmentofficials and RailTel representatives on Friday, Sawant congratulated thedepartment for the initiative. “Following the implementation of this EnterpriseResource Planning system, we will be able to make digital operations very effectivefor both the Goa Labour Welfare Board and the Goa Building and OtherConstruction Workers Welfare Board,” Sawant said.
He said the system would reduce dependence onpaperwork and make it easier for workers to apply for welfare schemes. Sawantsaid one of the major challenges before the department was the low registrationof construction workers, which in turn affected the reach of welfare schemes.“In our state, we noticed that very few construction workers register with us,resulting in low delivery of benefits to the people,” he said. He urgedconstruction workers holding Goan cards to register with the ConstructionWorkers Welfare Board and avail themselves of the benefits available undervarious schemes.
According to Sawant, the digitaltransformation will also help improve access for workers in rural areas, womenworkers and senior citizens by providing regular updates and greatertransparency in the delivery of welfare benefits. The Chief Minister saidRailTel had been supporting similar digital initiatives in other states andthat Goa would use the partnership to expand digital access to labour welfareservices.
Sawant also cited the Goa Scholarship Portalas an example of how digital systems could improve access to governmentbenefits. He said that while only a small percentage of students initiallyapplied online, more than 90 per cent now apply through the portal for theChief Minister’s Scholarship. He said a similar scholarship under the LabourWelfare Department had now been linked to the CM Scholarship App. “My requestis that Goans working in the private sector also apply for this Labour Welfarescholarship through the CM Scholarship Portal,” Sawant said. He said childrenof workers pursuing engineering, medicine and higher education could receivetuition assistance of Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,000, with higher assistance availableunder certain categories.
Sawant said the department was focusing oncreating greater awareness among workers in the private sector, given the largenumber of people employed in private establishments. “Since private sectoremployment numbers exceed government sector employment, the Labour Departmentand Labour Minister are actively driving awareness across industries andfactories through inspectors so all eligible families receive these benefits,”he said.
Sawant said the government would continueworking with RailTel to increase registration and outreach under both welfareboards. “Moving forward, through RailTel, we remain committed to maximisingregistration and outreach across both welfare boards,” he said, urging workersto make full use of the welfare schemes available to them.
