CM Omar Abdullah calls for socio-economic wellbeing of workers

Srinagar, Jul 25: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah chaired the 22nd meeting of the Jammu & Kashmir Building & Other Construction Workers Welfare Board (JKBOCWWB) here at the Civil Secretariat, where he said that “

The aim of the meeting was to comprehensively review the implementation of various welfare measures and approve key initiatives aimed at improving the quality of life for construction workers and their families across Jammu and Kashmir.

Appreciating the strides made by the Board, the Chief Minister lauded its efforts in expanding welfare coverage to over 2.85 lakh active construction workers.

He underscored the importance of transparent, timely and targeted delivery of benefits and directed officials to widen the outreach mechanisms, streamline application procedures, and ensure that no eligible worker is excluded from availing the Board’s benefits.

The Chief Minister also called for a broader and more inclusive definition of ‘construction worker’ to bring within the fold all vulnerable and unorganized sector labourers.

He informed the members that the Board continues to operate in accordance with the legislative mandate of the BOCW (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996. To ensure transparency and efficiency, the Board has implemented significant digital reforms. These include 100 percent Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) for all financial assistance, Aadhaar integration to eliminate bogus registrations, an online portal for registration and renewals, and OTP-based authentication along with SMS alerts to keep workers informed about key deadlines and updates.

In a significant move towards digital governance, the issuance of smart cards to all registered workers was approved, with a proposed budget of ?10 crore.

To improve workplace safety, the Board sanctioned Rs 60 crore for the provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits and tools to construction workers, especially in rural areas. Recognizing the need for skill development, the Board approved short-term training programs for 10,000 workers under NSDC norms, with a budget of Rs 10 crore.

Given the overwhelming response to the meritorious scholarship scheme, it was resolved to revise the framework with slabs for top-performing students across all districts based on merit, while maintaining a minimum 90 percent cutoff. The Board also discussed the long-pending issue of staff regularization and directed the concerned committee to finalize recruitment rules in consultation with relevant departments within six months.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary, Additional Chief Secretary Jal Shakti Shaleen Kabra, Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister Dheeraj Gupta, Principal Secretary Finance, Principal Secretary PWD (R&B), Principal Secretary PDD, Commissioner Secretaries of Housing & Urban Development, Social Welfare, and Cooperatives, Secretary Labour & Employment, Secretary Law, Director General Budget, Chief Executive Officer/ Secretary J&K BOCWWB, Ajaz Abdullah Saraf and representatives of Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh and Bhartiya Dastkar Union.

Senior officers from the Planning Department and other concerned departments also participated in the meeting.

Secretary Labour & Employment Kumar Rajiv Ranjan gave a detailed presentation highlighting the Board’s key achievements, policy reforms and financial progress.