PANAJI
Cess collected from construction companies and real estate firms in Goa has added a whopping Rs 400-plus crore into kitty of the Goa Construction Workers Welfare Fund, meant to provide financial aid and humanitarian assistance to the unorganised and largely perceived to be for exploited labour force in the industry.
“The Labour Department has collected Rs 408 crore. The funds will be utilised for the welfare of construction labourers. We will hold a meeting of the Board after Diwali to formulate schemes for the welfare of the labourers under the fund,” Labour Minister Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate said.
Meanwhile, the process of revising the minimum wages of workers has begun and the proposal envisages increasing the minimum wage for unskilled workers in the construction sector and other activities from the current level of Rs 307 plus Rs 92 variable dearness allowance (VDA) to Rs 523 plus Rs 140 VDA in area ‘A’.
The draft revised wages will be notified and kept open for suggestions and objections from the general public and stakeholders for 60 days, Monserrate said.
Labour Commissioner Raju Gawas said, based on the analysis of the petitions received during the sixty-day period, changes if any will be made to the revised wages and it will then be finally notified after approval of the the Minimum Wages Advisory Board.
