The Delhi government has made the decision to set up mobile childcare and health screening facilities for workers at city-wide construction sites. The Delhi Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board’s board of directors made the decision on August 1.
Two distinct schemes
There will be two distinct schemes for this. The first is a “Doctors on Wheels” programme whose claimed purpose is to make routine medical examinations of workers at construction sites easier. The plan calls for setting up medical check-up clinics in each district and arranging for mobile vans to travel to various construction sites to conduct routine examinations of construction workers.
The other plan is to set up mobile nurseries on building sites for the kids of employees.
‘Doctor on Wheels’ scheme
“The Kejriwal government’s ‘Doctor on Wheels’ scheme for construction workers will facilitate routine check-ups of workers at construction sites. The government will launch unique mobile creches for children of construction workers at sites; children will get better day-care facilities with modern services now. Despite stalled construction due to Covid and pollution, the government supported construction workers by providing more than Rs 600 crore as aid. The government is running 17 welfare schemes for construction workers, with financial assistance of Rs 13 crore given to them last year,” said Deputy Chief Minister
Manish Sisodia, who also holds charge of the Labour Ministry.
In the conference, officials stated that during the initial Covid wave in 2020, each of the 1.18 lakh registered construction employees received a financial support of Rs 10,000, totaling Rs 118 crore.
They claimed that 3.17 lakh construction employees received 158 crore rupees in financial aid during the second wave in 2021. They also claimed that when building was stopped in late 2021 because to increasing pollution levels, aid funds of Rs 309 crore were granted to 6.17 lakh construction workers.
Children of construction workers are also eligible for scholarships from the government, which range from Rs 6,000 for pupils in grades 1–8, Rs 8,400 for those in grades 9–10, and Rs 12,000 for those in grades 11–12.
Officials stated that in the last year, Rs 4.8 crore has been distributed to 8,062 children of classes 6-8, Rs 4.1 crore to 4,888 children of classes 9-10 and Rs 3.4 crore to 2,841 children of classes 11-12.
