In a move that will benefit about 10 lakh construction workers in Delhi, the Arvind Kejriwal government on Wednesday announced free bus pass to them. Welders masons, carpenters, electricians, guards and other labourers working on the construction site can take advantage of this scheme, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said.
Sisodia, who also holds the labour department portfolio, distributed free bus passes to 100 construction workers. “The Kejriwal government distributed Rs 600 crore among the 10 lakh registered workers, which is the highest amount distributed among workers in the entire country,” he said.
The construction workers will not have to run around offices or stand in queue for bus passes now and they can register online on DTC website or at 34 registration centres of Construction Board.
Under the scheme, all the workers registered with the Delhi Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board can apply for free passes to travel in Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and cluster buses, a government statement said.
"It is the effort of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal that the labourers including masons, painters, welders, carpenters, electricians, guards and other workers should be given maximum assistance," Sisodia later said on Twitter.
He said the construction leabourers had to spend somewhere between Rs 1000 to Rs 3000 per month for travelling to their work site. “Now the government has decided to make bus travel free for such labourers,” he said.
Asked if the scheme would affect other development works of the government, Sisodia said if the government is honest then there is no shortage of money for welfare schemes.
