BJP Govt distributed Rs 172 crore of Workers Board to favourites in election year
A review meeting of Himachal Pradesh Building and Construction Workers Welfare Board was held today in which the issue regarding distribution of freebies worth about Rs 172 crore to favourites in the election year during the BJP regime was raised vigorously.
Board Chairman Nardev Singh Kanwar has sought reply from the Board’s officer in the entire matter. The District Labour Welfare Officers have been directed to submit a report on what basis 72,260 workers were registered overnight in the year 2021-22. After receiving the report, an explanation would be sought from the Labour Officers who were working during that time and strict action would be taken if the reply was found satisfactory.
Shri Kanwar said that the liabilities of the workers of 2021-22 of Rs 204 crore are pending till now. The eligible workers were deprived of the benefits of the Board’s schemes while freebies were distributed to the workers registered overnight. The Board has set up an eligibility inquiry of the workers who were benefited in the election year, in which the truth will come out.
He said there has been a lot of fraud in the registration of workers and distribution of funds in the previous BJP government’s regime. This is also raising questions on the functioning of the then concerned Minister. Since, in the investigation so far, 38 cases of fake registration have been caught and FIRs have been registered against fake beneficiaries in Hamirpur, Bhoranj, Barsar and Sujanpur police stations. After the FIR was registered, 9 fake beneficiaries have returned the amount of Rs 6 lakh to the Board out of fear of punishment since, according to the Board’s Act, there is a provision of 10 years of punishment for taking benefits in a fraudulent manner.
The Chairman said that 40,696 beneficiaries were benefited in the financial year 2021-22 and 32,015 beneficiaries were benefited in eight months in 2022-23. The BJP used the Board as a political weapon to win the election and benefited its favourites just before the code of conduct came into force.
He said that from 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022, Rs 92.33 crore were distributed to the workers out of which Rs 32 crore were given for marriage, Rs 44 crore for education, Rs 1.30 crore for medical, Rs 8.65 crore on death and Rs 5.24 crore on maternity. From 1 April 2022 to 31 October 2022, Rs 79.29 crore was distributed before the code of conduct came into force. An amount of Rs 52.21 crore for education, Rs 19 lakh for medical, Rs 4.33 crore on death, Rs 2.39 crore on maternity and Rs 13 lakh under Pradhan Mantri/Chief Minister Housing Scheme was distributed.
He said that after assuming power, the Congress government made Him Parivar Portal mandatory for registration in the Workers Welfare Board. Till now, during, 14913 new workers have been registered under the rules and an amount of Rs 66 crore has been provided to them as assistance.
