Srinagar: More than 3.40 Lakh building and other construction workers/labourers in Jammu and Kashmir are running from pillar to post as they have been deprived of marriage assistance provided to them for their marriage or the marriage of their dependents.
According to the workers, Jammu and Kashmir Building and other Construction Workers Welfare Board have stopped the welfare scheme of marriage assistance in 2017.
Under the scheme, registered construction workers or labourer are provided Rs 25000 financial assistance for marriage of their marriageable dependent be it son or daughter and brother or sister.
“We are poor labourers and our marriageable daughters are waiting for their weddings. It has been four years we are not in position to bear the expenses of marriages of our daughters and other dependents,” said Mohammad Ramzan Malla, a construction worker.
“Thousands of files are pending for payment of the assistance in different Assistant Labour Commissioner Offices and more than 400 marriage files are pending in ALC Office in Baramulla,” added Malla.
Sources in the Labour department said that financial relief assistance provided to the workers during the Covid-19 pandemic is yet to be disbursed among the registered workers as welfare measures in various districts.
When contacted Director Finance Labour and Employment Department Barkat Hussain said that there was some bungling in marriage cases in some districts of Jammu and Kashmir due to which the marriage assistance was temporary stopped and it will be reviewed.
Chief Executive Officer/Secretary (CEO) J&K Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board Munir Ul Islam said that marriage assistance has not been stopped but put in abeyance after allegations of bungling in marriage assistance cases in some districts in 2017.
“The scheme has not been closed, but put in abeyance. The marriage assistance scheme is under review and fresh guidelines are being formulated. I hope the welfare scheme for wedding of dependents and daughters of construction workers will be restarted this year and cases of 2020-21 will be taken into account,” he added.
Replying to the query about the verification of construction workers in DC offices, he said that they are being asked to get dependent certificates only from DC offices and ALC has empowered officer to verify the labourers.
