In a significant step toward labor welfare, Haryana’s Labour Minister Anil Vij has approved the establishment of help desks at the block level to streamline access to government schemes for workers in the construction sector. These centers, managed by the Labour Department under the aegis of the Haryana Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board, will serve as single-window platforms for registration, awareness, grievance redressal, and application processing. The initiative is designed to ensure transparent and timely delivery of benefits, which include maternity and paternity support, educational assistance, skill development grants, and medical aid for registered laborers and their families.
A Decentralized Support Network for Construction Workers
The state of Haryana is taking decisive action to strengthen social security for its construction workforce by establishing block-level help desks aimed at connecting laborers directly with welfare schemes. Labour Minister Anil Vij, who also oversees the Transport and Energy portfolios and chairs the state’s Construction Workers Welfare Board, sanctioned this initiative to bring efficiency and transparency to the welfare distribution process.
These help desks are envisioned as one-stop centers where construction workers can:
- Register for welfare schemes
- Seek assistance with paperwork and eligibility
- Receive awareness education about entitlements
- Lodge grievances and follow up on pending issues
This decentralization is expected to bridge gaps in outreach, especially for workers in rural and semi-urban zones.
Improving Accessibility and Accountability
The Labour Department will deploy Assistant Welfare Officers and support staff at each help desk, backed by robust IT infrastructure. These personnel will facilitate real-time data entry, application tracking, and digital documentation—minimizing bureaucratic delays and potential leakages in welfare distribution.
Additionally, the initiative aligns with a broader service delivery framework that emphasizes connect points and community-level engagement, creating a more responsive administrative ecosystem for labor welfare.
Comprehensive Benefits for Registered Workers
Registered construction workers in Haryana are eligible for a wide array of financial and in-kind benefits, which the help desks will assist them in accessing. These include:
- Maternity benefit: Rs. 36,000
- Paternity benefit: Rs. 21,000
- Educational assistance:
- Rs. 8,000 to Rs. 20,000 annually (from primary to higher education)
- Merit-based scholarships between Rs. 21,000 and Rs. 51,000 for children scoring 60% and above in Class 10 and 12
- Full reimbursement of academic expenses for technical and professional courses
- Skill and mobility support:
- Rs. 5,000 for bicycle purchase
- Rs. 8,000 tool grant
- Rs. 4,500 for sewing machines
- Rs. 5,100 under the CM Women Construction Worker Samman Scheme
- Cultural and social travel:
- Full fare reimbursement for second-class train or regular bus travel to pilgrimage sites or ancestral villages
- Health and disability support:
- Wage compensation during medical treatment, based on minimum wage norms
- Up to Rs. 1 lakh for treatment of chronic diseases
- Disability pension of Rs. 3,000 per month
An Inclusive Model for Worker-Centric Governance
Haryana’s decision to localize welfare access represents a paradigm shift in labor administration, moving from passive policy frameworks to active, community-level engagement. These help desks are not only administrative nodes but also points of empowerment, where workers are informed of their rights, assisted in claiming them, and supported through the process.
Minister Vij’s initiative demonstrates that meaningful welfare delivery lies not just in budgetary allocation, but in execution models that are people-first, accessible, and responsive to ground realities.
Conclusion: From Entitlement to Empowerment
With this policy innovation, Haryana is positioning itself as a frontrunner in worker welfare governance. By coupling comprehensive financial support with accessible service delivery platforms, the state is creating a sustainable framework that recognizes the contributions of construction workers and upholds their dignity through structured support.
If implemented effectively, the help desk model could serve as a replicable blueprint for other states looking to close the gap between policy and practice in labor welfare.
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