Karam Prakash
Tribune News Service
Patiala, July 17
Though the office of Principal Accountant General (Audit), Punjab, had raised red flags in 2019, the Labour Department has decided to continue spending welfare money on the remaining construction work of three skill development centres in the state.
The department is said to have already earmarked Rs 17.91 crore from the Labour Welfare Board to complete the remaining work of the skill centres. Notably, the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India, after an order of the Supreme Court, had issued directions under Section 60 of the Building and Other Construction Workers’ Welfare Board (BOCW) Act, in 2016, to states and UTs that read: “Section 22 (h) does not allow diversion of BOCW cess-fund for any purpose other than for the welfare of the BOCW workers and their families exclusively.
Centre’s nod taken
We have taken approval from the Centre. Therefore, we can carry out the remaining work. —VK Janjua, Principal secy, Labour dept
However, the department, on the directions of the Labour Minister, has already constituted a committee to complete the work of all three skill centres.
Defending the decision, VK Janjua, Labour Department principal secretary, said: “We have taken an approval from the Centre, therefore, we can carry out the remaining work. If we hadn’t taken the permission, crores of funds already been spent on the work would have gone down the drain.” On the directions issued by the Centre in 2016, he said: “We (Punjab Labour Department) had wrongly interpreted the directions then. The orders give exception to construct buildings exclusively for the construction workers and that is what we are doing.”
Meanwhile, labour activist Vijay Walia said: “I will file a contempt of court against the chairman of the BOCW Board, Punjab, and other officials. I will also be filing a complaint to the CBI against the department officials.”
Labour Department diverts funds for work on skill centres
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