Parliament Question: Safety of construction workers

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT RAJYA SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 12 TO BE ANSWERED ON 29.01.2026 SAFETY OF CONSTRUCTION WORKERS 12. DR. ASHOK KUMAR MITTAL: Will the Minister of Labour and Employment be pleased to state: (a) the steps taken to ensure strict enforcement of the Buildings and Other Construction Workers Act, 1996 and to impose penal actions against non-compliant employers; (b) the reasons as to why safety measures continue to be overlooked, despite the critical role of the infrastructure sector in India's economy; (c) the details of plans considered to provide workers with better financial and physical safety nets; and (d) the manner in which the Ministry plans to improve the monitoring of hazardous work environments? ANSWER MINISTER OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (DR. MANSUKH MANDAVIYA) (a) to (d): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House. * *****STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) TO (d) of RAJYA SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 12 TO BE ANSWERED ON 29.01.2026 REGARDING ‘SAFETY OF CONSTRUCTION WORKERS’ RAISED BY DR. ASHOK KUMAR MITTAL. (a) to (d): The BOCW Act and BOCW Cess Act are now subsumed in the Code on Social Security, 2020 (CoSS, 2020) and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 (OSH & WC Code, 2020). These codes are effective from the date 21.11.2025. The Central Government is committed to implement the provisions of the CoSS, 2020 and OSH&WC Code, 2020. In this regard, the State Governments are mandated to ensure enforcement of the labour laws in the State sphere. The Central Government under CoSS, 2020 and OSH&WC, 2020 is empowered to issue directions to the State Government to execute in that State, of any of the provisions of CoSS, 2020 and OSH&WC, 2020. The suitable provisions for offences and penalty causing obstruction to the authority, non-maintenance of register, records, non-filling of return, falsification of records, omission to furnish plans, contravention of provisions of duties related to hazardous process, contravention of provisions relating to safety provisions resulting in accidents, failure to pay contribution, etc. are provided in the CoSS, 2020 and OSH&WC, 2020. Regular inspections are conducted by the Chief Labour Commissioner (Central) [CLC(C)] Organization, as per the inspection scheme of the Central Government, in the Central Sphere, in case of accidents at construction sites. The State Governments are mandated to ensure enforcement of the labour laws in the State sphere. The CLC(C) Organization through its field offices enforces the provisions of CoSS, 2020 and OSH & WC Code, 2020 to ensure safety measures of building workers at construction sites in the Central sphere. The Central Government has devised a well-designed inspection scheme to the establishments. Special programmes are organized from time to time for implementation of safety measures through inspection at construction sites in the Central Sphere under the provision of the Act to enforce the compliance of safety provisions. Besides, sensitization programmes for safety measures are also conducted from time to time. The details pertaining to the State’s sphere in this regard are maintained by the concerned State.The State / UT Governments through State / UT Building and Other Construction Workers’ Welfare Boards are empowered and entrusted for making provisions for providing Social Security and welfare schemes relating to life and disability cover, health and maternity cover, financial assistance for education of wards of the registered Building and Other Construction Workers, transit housing, skill development, awareness programs, pension, etc. For the welfare of the construction workers, a ‘Model Welfare Scheme for Building and Other Construction Workers and Action Plan for strengthening implementation Machinery’ had been prepared and forwarded by the Ministry to all the States/UTs for its strict compliance. *****