Ensure no laxity in approving aid for construction workers: HC to govt

new delhi: The Delhi High Court on Friday told the Delhi government to ensure that there is "no laxity" in the registration of workers with the Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare (BOCWW) Board and also suggested that applications be verified online so that they can get the ex-gratia of Rs 5,000 during the ongoing pandemic.

A bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rajnish Bhatnagar said since the applications were made online, they can be verified the same way by holding interviews via video call. The Board, represented by Delhi government additional standing counsel Sanjoy Ghose, said the court's suggestion would be considered.

The Board also told the court that it has accepted the Delhi State Legal Services Authority's (DSLSA) offer of 100 lawyers empanelled with it for verification of the applications at an honorarium of Rs 1,800 per day. It said that it will work out the modalities of the requirement of advocates on a daily basis with the DSLSA considering the office space and number of verifications.

The bench, while leaving this aspect to the two authorities, said the "Board should not lose sight that the exercise is being carried out to expedite the registration of the workers and there should be no laxity". The high court also directed that once the lawyers give their verification report approving registration or renewal, the Board should act upon it and not re-verify the same. "There should not be another bottleneck after the verification by lawyers," the high court said.

The high court also directed the Board to, in consultation with DSLSA, prepare a checklist or guidelines on the aspects that the authorised advocates will have to follow while scrutinising the applications. The bench also made it clear that authorising the advocates to verify the applications would not amount to employment by the Board.

The high court on July 14 had said that the pendency of a large number of applications for registration and renewal before the Board "paint a grim picture" as all those labourers would not be receiving the ex-gratia which they are entitled to "in these trying times".

It said that the backlog can be cleared within two weeks with the help of around 100 legal aid lawyers offered by the DSLSA for verification of the applications.

The high court was hearing a PIL by social activist Sunil Kumar Aledia seeking registration of all construction workers here under the BOCWW Act so that they can get the benefit of the relief package of Rs 5,000 per month during the lockdown.

Aledia in his plea, filed through advocate Shiven Varma, has contended that only a small section out of the over 10 lakh workers in the city are registered under the laws regulating their welfare and service conditions and thus, a huge chunk of the labourers are not getting benefits actually meant for them.