The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has raised serious concerns over the underutilisation of welfare funds and weak implementation of worker-related schemes in the national capital.
According to the performance audit report which was tabled in the Legislative Assembly by Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta on Monday, the national capital renewed only 7.3 per cent of construction worker registrations between 2019 and 2023, significantly lower than the national average of 74 per cent.
The report, covering the four-year when the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was in power in Delhi found several discrepancies related to funds, and cess collection.
“There was a huge difference in figures of cess amount collected as per records of cess collectors, district records and the Board. The difference in figures of the cess as per District records and as per the Board for four years amounted to Rs 204.95 crore. The differences were not found reconciled,” the report said.
The audit found that out of 6.96 lakh registered workers, the Delhi Building and Other Construction Workers’ Welfare Board was able to provide complete details for only 1.98 lakh. Within this group, over 1.19 lakh beneficiaries were linked to 2.38 lakh photographs, raising concerns about duplicate records and shortcomings in the IT system used to manage registrations.
“The presence of multiple images for the same individual, blank images, and duplication suggest the system lacked the capability to flag inconsistencies,” the audit noted.
It further said, the department did not maintain a reconciled database of cess assessed, collected and remitted and thus lacked a system to ascertain the quantum of cess due and its timely collection. Cases of incorrect assessment, short and deposit and realisation of cess were observed.
According to the report, expenditure on welfare schemes ranged between 9.53 and 11.33 per cent only of total receipts except in 2021-22 when ex-gratia payments were made to the BOCW for tiding over the Covid pandemic period.
“Benefits were given only under 12 out of 17 schemes during 2019-20 to 2022-23 as no expenditure was incurred in five schemes viz Financial assistance for miscarriage, Advance for purchase or construction of house, Loan for purchase of work related tools, Grant for the purchase of work related tools; and Insurance Policy,” it stated.
The audit also reported that no inspection of construction sites was carried out either by the selected districts of labour department to ensure availability of various facilities required to be provided by employers as per the BOCW Act nor by the Directorate of Industrial Safety & Health entrusted with the enforcement of safety and health measures for construction workers under the Building and Other Construction Workers’ (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act 1996 during four years of audit period.
