PANAJI
The corpus of the State Construction Labour Welfare Fund (CLWF) has accumulated to nearly Rs 500 crores, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said, money which has to be spent on labourers working in the unorganised construction sector.
He added that it is not just the responsibility of the government but also of the labour unions and contractors who deploy these workers with construction companies and sites. They should also come forth to ensure that the workers are properly enumerated so that these funds can be spent judiciously for their welfare, he said.
The board that manages the fund will be reconstituted and instructions have been issued to hold a meeting every month, he said, adding that the State govrenment has also taken on board an NGO Disha Foundation and also a central government PSU to work in tandem with the labour department to ensure workers get benefits of welfare measures meant for them.
On the high unemployment rate in the State, Sawant claimed that the actual figure in the state is around 20,000 although the State Employment Exchange shows it to be 1.10 lakh.
“We are in the process of sanitising the unemployment list by identifying those who are studying and those who are working in private jobs," Sawant added.
