CHANDIGARH, Dec 30: Haryana Labour Minister Anil Vij on Monday sought a high-level investigation into alleged fraud in the Haryana Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board after verification revealed that a majority of issued work slips were invalid.
Vij said the irregularities, which surfaced during a board review, suggest misuse of welfare schemes on a massive scale. He has written to the chief minister, recommending a probe by an independent investigation agency.
“Those who are not eligible are availing benefits meant for construction workers,” Vij said. “This has caused the government a huge financial loss.”
As part of the inquiry, district-level committees were formed to physically verify work slips issued online between August 2023 and March 2025. The panels were tasked with checking workplace authenticity, employer details, field inspections and local inquiries.
The verification has been completed in 13 districts, including Gurugram, Panchkula, Panipat, Sonepat and Sirsa. Vij said that of nearly six lakh work slips issued in these districts, only about 53,000 were found genuine.
A similar pattern emerged in labour registrations. “Out of 2.22 lakh registrations, only 14,240 workers were eligible,” Vij said.
The minister said registered construction workers are entitled to multiple benefits, including maternity assistance, education aid, professional course reimbursement and incentives for daughters. “These benefits average around Rs 2.5 lakh per worker,” he said.
Reiterating a zero-tolerance approach to corruption, Vij said strict action would be taken against all those found involved, irrespective of rank or position.
