The Delhi government has announced Rs 8,000 in financial assistance for more than 90,000 registered construction workers impacted by the city’s construction ban due to severe air pollution. The ban, which was imposed on November 18 under the Graded Response Action Plan to curb pollution, disrupted work for thousands of daily-wage workers.
In a meeting chaired by Additional Chief Secretary (Finance) Ashish Chandra Verma, the Delhi Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board decided to provide the financial aid to workers who are registered and eligible under the welfare board. The decision comes in response to a recent Supreme Court order directing states in the National Capital Region (NCR) to ensure construction workers receive a subsistence allowance. The Rs 8,000 amount will be transferred directly to the workers’ Aadhaar-linked bank accounts after their status is verified. A total of 90,759 workers, based on self-certification, will receive the tentative benefits, pending final verification of their work status. The workers’ authenticity will be checked via an online portal, and the aid will be disbursed only after successful verification. This move aims to ease the financial burden on construction workers who were unable to work during the construction ban, which is part of broader measures to control pollution in Delhi.
