The Chairman of the Himachal Pradesh Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board (HPBOCW), Nardev Singh Kanwar, emphasized the need for ensuring robust cess collection from both government and private establishments across the state. Chairing a review meeting of the Board, he highlighted that increased cess collection is essential to strengthen the Board’s resources and expand welfare initiatives for construction workers.
To improve transparency and efficiency, the Board is planning to develop a dedicated web portal for cess collection and monitoring. Kanwar pointed out that cess collection from private entities remains considerably low and directed concerned officials to take strict steps to ensure compliance.
The cess collected is used to fund various welfare schemes, including skill development allowances, education support for workers’ children, and financial aid in case of accidents or health emergencies. The Chairman urged the Board to target a cess collection of ₹300 crore in the current financial year.
Labour officers were instructed to enforce cess collection from a wide range of establishments such as private builders, petrol pumps, hotels, factories, shopping malls, and private educational institutions. Additionally, Kanwar stressed the importance of verifying and registering all eligible construction and other workers to ensure they benefit from the schemes.
The meeting was attended by Secretary-cum-CEO HPBOCW Rajiv Kumar, Labour Commissioner Virender Sharma, Deputy Labour Commissioner Munish Karol, and Labour Officers from all districts.
