Punjab Government: A Government Committed to the Welfare of Workers - Tarunpreet Singh Sond

- Several initiatives by Punjab Govt for construction & building workers welfare

- 1.3 lakh construction workers and their families covered under 5 lakh rupees Mukh Mantri Sehat Bima Yojana

- Now workers can get surgeries, operations, etc for free even in private hospitals

- 80,000 labour and other welfare scheme cards issued in just 4 months

- Labour cards and schemes pendency reduced by 75% within 4 months

- Punjab ushering new era of workers' welfare

Chandigarh, May 1:Punjab’s Labour Minister, Tarunpreet Singh Sond, extended warm greetings to all workers on the occasion of Labour Day. Addressing a press conference at Punjab Bhawan, he highlighted that the government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann is committed to the welfare of workers and has taken several significant initiatives to enhance their quality of life.

He informed that under the Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board, over Rs 90 crore was disbursed to more than 41,000 registered workers through various schemes in the last financial year. This includes Rs 45 crore stipend scheme for workers' children, Rs 28 crore as ex-gratia assistance, Rs 11 crore for health insurance and surgeries, and over Rs 85 lakh under the Balri Tohfa Scheme. Additionally, the Labour Welfare Board disbursed Rs 17.15 crore to 6,737 beneficiaries during the same period.

The Minister noted that from January to April 2025, around 80,000 pending applications related to labour cards and welfare schemes were resolved. The backlog, which previously stood at 1.1 lakh, has now been brought down to 30,000.

Under the Mukh Mantri Sehat Bima Yojana, 1.3 lakh construction workers and their families have been covered, providing Rs. 5 lakh health insurance per family for critical healthcare services such as cardiac care, cancer treatment, neuro surgery, orthopedic surgeries and dialysis and kidney care.

Sond stated that in the financial year 2024–25, a record Rs 287 crore has been collected as labour cess, the highest in the past four years. Comparatively, Rs 203.94 crore was collected in 2021–22, Rs 208.92 crore in 2022–23, and Rs 180 crore in 2023–24.

The Minister further mentioned that several schemes have been simplified to ensure ease of access for workers. In the Shagun Scheme of the Punjab Building Workers Welfare Board, the earlier requirement of a marriage certificate issued by a Tehsildar has been removed. Now, a certificate from the religious institution where the marriage was solemnized, along with a self-declaration from both families, will suffice. Under this scheme, an amount of Rs 51,000 is provided. Similarly, maternity benefits of Rs 21,000 for female construction workers and Rs 5,000 for male workers are now provided upon submission of the child’s birth certificate only, removing the earlier requirement of a child’s Aadhaar card.

The Labour Minister also announced that in the Labour Welfare Board’s schemes, the condition of submitting a government marriage certificate has been removed. Instead, a certificate from the religious institution and a photograph of the ceremony will be accepted. Under this scheme, Rs 31,000 is provided. Additionally, the time frame for applying under the maternity benefit scheme has been extended from the previous three months before and after childbirth to a more flexible six months post-delivery.

Minister Sond highlighted that MNREGA workers who have completed over 90 days of work are being encouraged to register with the Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board to avail all associated benefits. To facilitate this, Form No. 27, required during registration, has been simplified and is now available in Punjabi and Hindi.

In a further move to support workers' families, eligibility conditions for the stipend scheme for workers' children have been eased. Previously, a worker needed to be registered for at least two years with the Labour Welfare Board to apply for scholarships. This requirement has now been waived; any registered worker can now apply immediately for their child’s scholarship.

He further informed that the government has also reduced the processing time for scheme approvals. Previously, schemes required clearance from SDM Committees and Deputy Commissioners. Now, except for Ex-Gratia, Balri Rakshak, and Shagun Scheme, all other schemes no longer need such approvals. The number of approval stages has been reduced from 9 to just 7, shortening the benefit disbursement time from six months to only one month.

Tarunpreet Singh Sond made an appeal to all workers in Punjab involved in construction or manual labour who have worked for more than 90 days in a year to register with the Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board. Registration can be done at Seva Kendras or through the "Kirti Sahayak App" available on Google Play Store.

He also urged industrialists across Punjab to ensure their workers are registered with the Labour Welfare Board and are enabled to access the welfare schemes meant for their benefit.

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Historic Disbursement of Rs. 242 Crore Under SC Scholarship by Punjab Government — Lauded by Government of India

Dr. Baljit Kaur Announces Major Relief for Students — Dr. Ambedkar Scholarship Portal Reopened Till May 15

Chandigarh, May 1:In a landmark achievement towards ensuring timely financial assistance for Scheduled Caste (SC) students, the Punjab Government under the dynamic leadership of Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann has successfully disbursed Rs. 242.01 crore as the state’s share for 2,22,764 students before March 31, 2025. This announcement was made by Punjab Social Justice, Empowerment and Minorities Minister Dr. Baljit Kaur.

Dr. Baljit Kaur stated that for the first time in the state’s history, the state’s share under the Post Matric Scholarship Scheme has been distributed within the academic year itself. In recognition of this proactive and student-centric initiative, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, has also appreciated the Punjab Government for implementing the scheme in an efficient, transparent, and effective manner.

She further added that guided by the Aam Aadmi Party government's commitment to social equality and education for all, the Punjab Government is fully dedicated to the welfare and educational empowerment of Scheduled Caste students. In line with this vision, the Post Matric Scholarship Scheme is being implemented in a transparent, efficient, and student-friendly manner to enable students to pursue higher education without financial constraints.

The Minister informed that for the financial year 2024-25, the state had set a target to cover 2,60,000 students under this flagship scheme. Notably, a total of 2,59,685 applications were received through the Dr. Ambedkar Scholarship Portal, out of which 2,36,575 applications have been successfully verified — the highest number of verifications achieved by the Punjab Government in the last five years.

Dr. Baljit Kaur also mentioned that the remaining verified applications numbering 13,814 will soon receive the state’s share of scholarship funds.

Additionally, the Cabinet Minister revealed that it came to the department’s notice that some eligible students could not avail the scholarship for the year 2024-25 as they or their institutions failed to lock their applications. In the interest of student welfare, the Punjab Government has decided to reopen the Dr. Ambedkar Scholarship Portal till May 15, 2025, providing a final opportunity for such students to complete the application process.

Reaffirming the Punjab Government’s firm resolve, Dr. Baljit Kaur urged all eligible students and institutions to take full advantage of this extended opportunity and ensure that no deserving student is deprived of this crucial academic assistance.

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Modi Government’s Assault on Punjab’s Rights Shameful; Battle to Protect Punjab’s Water Will Endure: Dr. Baljit Kaur

Punjab’s Voice Will Forever Echo for the Rights of Its Water, Farmers, and Workers: Dr. Baljit Kaur

Chandigarh, May 1:Terming the move by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Central Government to deprive Punjab of its rightful share of river waters as utterly condemnable, Punjab’s Social Security, Women and Child Development Minister, Dr. Baljit Kaur, said this step goes against the very principles of democracy and federalism.

She said water is the lifeline of Punjab, and the backbone of this state are its hardworking farmers and labourers who rely entirely on it for agriculture and livelihood.

Marking International Labour Day today, Dr. Baljit Kaur strongly criticized the Centre’s attempt to divert Punjab’s rightful water share to other states, calling it a clear betrayal and an act of backstabbing the people of Punjab.

“This is not the first time such injustice has been inflicted upon Punjab. The Modi Government has consistently adopted an anti-Punjab stance, ignoring the rightful demands and sentiments of our people,” she asserted.

Dr. Baljit Kaur emphasized that Punjab, being an agrarian state, cannot afford to lose even a drop of its water. The farmers and labourers of Punjab have always raised their voice against any injustice and will never tolerate this exploitation.

She further said this decision is not just an attack on Punjab, but an outright assault on the farmers and labourers of the entire nation. “We will oppose this treacherous policy of the Central Government tooth and nail. The fight for Punjab’s water and rights will continue relentlessly at every platform,” she concluded.