Delhi CM Calls for Probe into ₹5,200 Cr Unused Labour Welfare Funds

Delhi Labour Welfare AAP CAG Government Accountability

May 1, 20266 min readAsia

Delhi CM Calls for Probe into ₹5,200 Cr Unused Labour Welfare Funds

Delhi's Chief Minister demands accountability for unspent funds.

{"results": [{"url": "https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/cm-seeks-probe-into-unused-5200-cr-during-aap-govt/article69911214.ece", "title": "CM seeks probe into unused \u20b95,200 cr. during AAP govt.\u00a0 - The Hindu", "author": "The Hindu Bureau", "summary": "Summary:\n\n- The Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta accused the previous AAP government of an \u201canti-worker mindset\u201d for leaving \u20b95,200 crore in the labour welfare fund unused, despite workers waiting for benefits.\n- She urged referring the matter to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and called for action against officials/ministers for the lapse, citing the CAG report on Welfare of Building and Other Construction Workers for year ending March 31, 2023.\n- The CAG findings cited underutilisation or non-utilisation of funds for maternity benefits, disability support, tool purchases, housing, family pensions, accident compensation, and skill development.\n- The government noted that the Central government offers free registration/renewal services, while Delhi\u2019s previous administration charged \u20b925 for registration and \u20b920 for renewal, contributing to poor data renewal rates (7% in Delhi vs 100% nationally).\n- AAP defence: BJP selectively quoted critical CAG paragraphs; the report covers four years affected by COVID-19, during which many migrant workers returned home. Kejriwal\u2019s government provided \u20b95,000 per registered worker during the pandemic.\n\nContext for user query:\n- The article discusses unused funds in the labour welfare cess/fund in Delhi (scope similar to labour welfare boards\u2019 funds) and calls for a PAC probe, referencing CAG findings relevant to welfare fund utilisation and underutilisation.\n- The piece mentions criticisms and a partial defence from AAP, with some data on registration/renewal fees and renewal rates.\n- If you\u2019re seeking broader data on Supreme Court criticisms or 2024\u20132025 coverage, this article aligns with Delhi state-level governance debates on fund utilisation and worker welfare, rather than SC-wide jurisprudence."}, {"url": "https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/cag-flags-369-lakh-crore-cess-transfer-shortfall-rjd-mp-demands-accountability-in-rajya-sabha/article70814793.ece", "title": "CAG flags \u20b93.69 lakh crore cess transfer shortfall; RJD MP demands accountability in Rajya Sabha - The Hindu", "author": "PTI", "summary": "Summary:\n\n- The Hindu reports that the Comptroller & Auditor General of India (CAG) has flagged a long-standing shortfall in transferring cess collections to designated funds, with an estimated \u20b93.69 lakh crore\u672atransferred as of FY 2023-24. The lapses span five decades, dating back to 1974.\n- Specific shortfalls cited include:\n - Oil Industry Development Board: \u20b9902.40 crore collected (1974-75 to 1991-92); cumulative shortfall \u20b92.95 crore up to FY 2023-24.\n - Health and education sectors: \u20b937,537 crore untransferred (2018-19 to 2023-24).\n - Investor Education and Protection Fund: \u20b92,505.5 crore shortfall.\n - Monetisation of National Highways Fund: \u20b95,968.1 crore shortfall.\n- A discrepancy between Finance Ministry figures (\u20b93.66 lakh crore transferred 2018-19 to 2023-24) and government accounts (\u20b92.65 lakh crore) prompted calls for urgent reconciliation.\n- RJD MP A. D. Singh demanded accountability, questioning why cess funds were not routed to designated funds and what corrective measures are in place to prevent recurrence.\n- Broader concern: persistent lapses undermine the efficacy and transparency of cess-funded welfare schemes, including workers\u2019 welfare and development programs.\n\nRelation to user\u2019s query:\n- The piece directly addresses misuse and under-utilisation of labour and construction workers\u2019 welfare cess funds, highlighting data gaps, Supreme Court-related scrutiny context (implied via calls for accountability), and requests for better fund utilization and reconciliation. It aligns with the user\u2019s focus on Supreme Court criticism, labour welfare boards, unused funds, and Reuters-era discussions on utilisation of construction workers\u2019 welfare cess."}, {"url": "https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/construction-workers-threaten-protest-outside-labour-ministers-residence/article69541348.ece", "title": "Construction workers threaten protest outside Labour Minister\u2019s residence", "author": "The Hindu Bureau", "summary": "Summary:\n\n- Event: Construction workers threatened to protest outside the residence of Karnataka\u2019s Labour Minister, highlighting grievances over welfare fund utilization and related policy decisions.\n- Focus areas relevant to your query:\n - Welfare funding: The report centers on funds collected for construction workers\u2019 welfare (e.g., cess or levy schemes) and concerns about how these funds are being utilized or unspent.\n - Fund utilization scrutiny: Tensions arise from questions about why welfare cess funds are not being fully deployed for eligible schemes, projects, or worker benefits.\n - Legal/constitutional oversight: Mention of oversight or criticism by higher authorities (including Supreme Court-level scrutiny) regarding labor welfare boards and the management of unemployment/underutilized funds.\n - Government accountability: The coverage points to demands for transparency, timely disbursement, and better governance of the construction workers\u2019 welfare cess.\n- Contextual note: The article is part of ongoing coverage of labor welfare fund governance in India, with related reporting by Reuters indicating persistent concerns in 2024\u20132025 about unused funds and governance lapses in labour welfare boards.\n\nIf you want, I can extract and summarize the exact figures, fund names (e.g., Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Cess), and specific court remarks from the piece."}, {"url": "https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Mangalore/welfare-board-funds-should-not-be-used-for-government-projects-building-workers-federation/article70715712.ece", "title": "Welfare board funds should not be used for government projects: Building workers federation - The Hindu", "author": "The Hindu Bureau", "summary": "Summary:\n- A Karnataka-based federation (Dakshina Kannada unit of the Karnataka State Building and Other Construction Workers Federation) opposes using the Welfare Board\u2019s funds to finance government projects, specifically criticizing a proposed \u20b9600 crore budget to establish 10 government tool room and training centres (GTTCs). They argue GTTCs should be funded by the government and remain open to all, not reserved for construction workers\u2019 wards, calling the expenditure from the Welfare Board misallocated and a betrayal to workers.\n- The article also notes the federation\u2019s stance on the budget proposal to construct residential schools for the children of construction workers and to run skill development academies in Hubballi-Dharwad using Welfare Board funds, signaling broader opposition to channeling welfare funds into government-run initiatives rather than worker-centric programs.\n\nRelevance to user query:\n- The piece directly addresses utilization of the Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board funds and critique of government projects funded from that corpus, aligning with concerns about fund usage and prioritization.\n- It does not discuss Supreme Court criticism or Reuters coverage, so for those specific angles (SC criticisms, unused funds, global/Reuters data 2024\u20132025), include guidance to consult Reuters articles or SC orders for broader national context and any noted criticisms or redressal mechanisms.\n\nIf you want, I can pull related Reuters summaries or Supreme Court critiques on BOCW Welfare Fund utilization and provide a concise comparison."}, {"url": "https://frontline.thehindu.com/society/tamil-nadu-migrant-worker-survey-illegal-recruitment-employer-violations-dravidian-model/article69767483.ece", "title": "Tamil Nadu Migrant Worker Survey Misses Illegal Recruitment Networks, Employer Violations Behind Worker Poverty - Frontline", "author": "Sara Abraham", "summary": "Summary:\n\n- The Frontline article critiques Tamil Nadu\u2019s migrant worker survey for missing critical issues that drive poverty among inter-state workers.\n- Key gaps highlighted:\n - It overlooks illegal recruitment networks and employer violations that trap workers in low pay and poor conditions.\n - Insufficient data on migrant workers\u2019 numbers, origins, jobs, and living arrangements, leading to invisibility in policy and public records.\n - Consequences include reduced access to social security, labour rights, and basic citizenship protections (working hours, wages, union rights, language use).\n - Without comprehensive data, cities\u2019 budgeting for infrastructure (schools, transport, markets, hospitals) and migrant-inclusive planning remains weak.\n- The piece argues that a robust survey would illuminate the true scale and needs of migrant workers as Tamil Nadu receives migrants for construction, manufacturing, and service sectors, and would better inform policy, welfare spending, and enforcement against exploitative practices.\n- Context note: The article positions the survey as a step toward visibility but stresses that crucial questions\u2014like illegal recruitment networks and employer violations\u2014remain unaddressed.\n\nRelation to user query:\n- If your interest is in India\u2019s construction and labour welfare finance and governance (e.g., Supreme Court criticisms, Labour Welfare Boards, fund utilisation), this article underscores how data gaps hamper effective use of welfare funds and enforcement.\n- It complements discussions on fund utilization and governance by highlighting practical failures in data-driven policy, which can influence debates about cess funds, welfare board effectiveness, and enforcement gaps.\n\nRelevant angles for your search:\n- How Tamil Nadu\u2019s migrant worker survey handles (or fails to handle) illegal recruitment networks and employer violations.\n- Impact of data gaps on welfare fund utilisation (e.g., Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Cess) and policy effectiveness.\n- Connection between migrant worker visibility, budgeting for public services, and rights enforcement in host states."}]}

Originally published by The Hindu.

Sources (11)

Construction workers threaten protest outside Labour Minister’s residence

thehindu.com

Karnataka Labour Minister distributes smart cards to workers from unorganised sector - The Hindu

thehindu.com

Karnataka: Construction workers press for health cover, housing, and scholarships at Mysuru convention - The Hindu

thehindu.com

Dharwad gets three mobile clinics for workers and their families - The Hindu

thehindu.com

Unorganised workers too will get ESIC medical services, says Shobha - The Hindu

thehindu.com

Karnataka budget focuses on maternal health, infrastructure upgrade and digital health systems - The Hindu

thehindu.com

Karnataka Budget 2026 sees education and skill push for construction workers’ families - The Hindu

thehindu.com

Welfare board funds should not be used for government projects: Building workers federation - The Hindu

thehindu.com

CM seeks probe into unused ₹5,200 cr. during AAP govt. - The Hindu

thehindu.com

CAG flags ₹3.69 lakh crore cess transfer shortfall; RJD MP demands accountability in Rajya Sabha - The Hindu

thehindu.com

Tamil Nadu Migrant Worker Survey Misses Illegal Recruitment Networks, Employer Violations Behind Worker Poverty - Frontline

frontline.thehindu.com

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