Punjab dips into building employees’ fund to vaccinate them

Despite the promise of free vaccination for all in government-run healthcare services, Punjab has dipped into the social welfare fund meant for building employees to vaccinate them.
The state has taken Rs 7.5 crore from the Building and Other Construction Workers (BOCW) Welfare Board fund with an purpose to vaccinate 2.19 crore building employees within the 18-45 years age group.
This whereas Punjab authorities hospitals are offering free vaccination to shopkeepers, their workers and avenue hawkers underneath the age of 45 on suggestions of the state authorities. Though technically building employees are additionally a part of this class, no different division for every other class being vaccinated within the 18+ bracket has supplied funds for vaccine procurement.
The BOCW fund, amassed by means of building cess, is underneath the management of respective states. The BOCW Welfare Cess gives for levy and assortment of cess at such fee not exceeding 2 per cent, however not lower than 1 per cent of the price of building because the Central authorities might notify. In Punjab, there’s a corpus of round Rs 1,000 crore collected by means of building cess.
Fearing leakage and misuse of BOCW cess, the Directorate General Labour Welfare underneath the Union Ministry of Labour and Employment had in March this 12 months directed all states to not present any “in-kind benefit” utilizing this fund. This was achieved after The Indian Express had reported that some states have been utilizing building employees’ welfare cess fund for distribution of lanterns, blankets, umbrellas, home goods, toolkits and utensils.

Sources within the Punjab authorities stated that Centre is aware of about these funds being utilized by the state and has thus far not objected to it.
V Ok Janjua, principal secretary, Punjab Labour Department, stated that BOCW board, headed by Punjab CM Amarinder Singh, is competent to take any resolution for the welfare of the development employees. “We are giving benefit to the construction workers by vaccinating them, not others.”
On Centre’s advisory on the usage of these funds, he stated, “Some states used funds to buy laptops, washing machines and TVs. But we didn’t do that. We are using it for vaccination. We had also made direct payment of Rs 180 crore into around three lakh construction workers’ accounts from same funds during lockdown.”

On why welfare fund meant for an economically weaker part like building employees was used, when it’s free for others, he stated, “Use of funds for vaccination is justified.”
Punjab Covid-19 nodal officer Rajesh Bhaskar stated, “These categories were formed on the basis of opinion given by Punjab experts. Labour Department had some welfare funds and it was proposed to provide these funds for vaccine procurement. No other department has provided funds for the vaccination procurement.”