Assam’s Rs 773-crore push for 7 lakh construction workers, 22 welfare benefits
Guwahati: Assam has expanded its welfare initiatives for construction workers, with more than seven lakh registered workers eligible to avail 22 different benefits under the Assam Building and Other Construction Workers’ Welfare Board, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
Highlighting the initiatives, Sarma added on Thursday that the state government was working to ensure that construction workers, who play a key role in building homes and infrastructure across the state, and their families receive greater social and economic support.
“Through the Assam Building & Other Construction Workers’ Welfare Board, we are building 22 welfare facilities of various kinds to support more than 7 lakh construction workers and their families,” he said in a post on social media platform X.
According to the Chief Minister, the state government has so far disbursed Rs 773.21 crore for the welfare of registered construction workers under various schemes.
The initiatives are being implemented under the “Nirman Sakhi” programme, which is dedicated to the welfare and empowerment of building and other construction workers in Assam.
Chief Minister Sarma said the state government was also focusing on expanding educational opportunities for the children and families of construction workers.
Nine Model Degree Colleges are being built across Assam, with 50 per cent of seats reserved for construction workers or their family members.
The initiative is aimed at providing better access to higher education for families traditionally dependent on construction and other informal-sector employment.
The Chief Minister said that Assam has a dedicated welfare board for construction workers and described the workers as “Shramjevis”, or working people, whose contribution is central to the state’s development.
The Assam Building and Other Construction Workers’ Welfare Board implements welfare measures for registered workers under provisions aimed at providing social security and financial assistance to those engaged in the construction sector.
The state government’s initiatives include multiple forms of assistance covering areas such as education, healthcare, financial support and other welfare requirements of workers and their families.
With more than seven lakh registered workers eligible for benefits, the state government has sought to strengthen the welfare architecture for one of Assam’s largest informal-sector workforces.
The construction sector employs a large number of workers across urban and rural areas, making welfare support and access to education particularly significant for improving the socio-economic conditions of their families.