Chandigarh, June 7: Application processing times for labor welfare initiatives in Punjab have been slashed by more than half as part of a major administrative overhaul, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann announced on Saturday. The turnaround period dropped to 73 days from a previous average of 203 days, removing a critical bottleneck that historically prevented weaker sections of the workforce from accessing social security.
The operational update was shared during a high-level review of the Punjab Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board in Chandigarh. To maximize the impact of these changes, the state is launching a free registration and revalidation drive targeting 10 lakh construction workers. The administration intends to bridge the gap between the massive urbanization occurring in Punjab and the low registration figure, which currently stands at 2.21 lakh laborers.
The upcoming campaign completely waives the 145-rupee fee usually required from applicants. The state exchequer will absorb the entire 15-crore-rupee financial implication of this waiver. To make registration accessible, the state will run evening camps in villages to match the schedules of daily wage earners returning from work.
Upgrades are also mandated for physical labor markets and specialized demographics. The Chief Minister ordered the immediate construction of protective sheds and drinking water access points at Labour Chowks. Officials were also told to prioritize female construction workers under the Mawan Dheeyan Satkar Yojna scheme.
For economic advancement, the state will link 50,000 registered workers with the Punjab Skill Development Mission. Training will occur directly at construction sites and dedicated centers, focusing on specialized fields like shuttering carpentry, scaffolding, quality assurance, surveying, and exterior finishes.
The Chief Minister stated that the welfare board was established to drive the socio-economic upliftment of construction workers through streamlined financial assistance and robust social security.
“As of now, 2.21 lakh workers are registered with the BOCW Welfare Board, which is quite low considering the massive construction activities and urbanisation taking place across Punjab,” Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann noted. “To improve registrations, more registration camps will be organised across the state.”
The Chief Minister declared that the state government will step in to cover the registration costs of all workers who do not avail themselves of specific benefits within their first year of enrollment.
“The Board must ensure that women labour workers also receive financial assistance under the Mawan Dheeyan Satkar Yojna,” Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann asserted, while also directing the board to provide the necessary live worker data to the skill development teams.
