The Kejriwal government launched the “Free Bus Travel Pass” initiative on Wednesday as a Labor Day present to all construction employees in the national capital. The proposed programme will assist construction employees in reducing their costs associated with work-related travel within the city, it said.
This is in addition to the Delhi Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board’s 14 existing welfare programmes for construction workers. “Our construction workers are builders of the nation and play a crucial part in the country’s economic prosperity,” Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said while launching the scheme and handing over the passes to the 100 construction employees.“
Sisodia added: “In Delhi, only a few construction workers get accommodation near their work site while many others travel to the work site or labour chowk from the outskirts of the national capital. This comes with a heavy price that they have to pay while travelling for work. To end travel-related woes of construction workers, the Kejriwal government has launched a Free Bus Travel Pass scheme for them. Now they will get free passes and rides to work in DTC buses all across the city.”
He went on to say that construction employees can register for free passes on the DTC website or at one of the 34 registration booths set up by the construction worker’s welfare board, and that passes will be issued to them shortly after. They won’t have to rush around the offices to get the pass or waste their entire working day waiting in line.
He also urged construction workers to assist other members of the community in registering with the Delhi Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board (DBOCWWB) so that they can take advantage of government welfare programmes.
Also present at the launch were MLA Kalkaji Atishi, Principal Secretary Labour Department H Rajesh Prasad and Secretary DBOCWWB Arun Jha.
Atishi said: “After women, now DTC bus rides have been made free for construction workers too. This will help the construction workers save Rs 1500-2000 per month, which was spent on travel earlier and they will be able to support their families better now.”
Notably, Delhi has 12 lakh construction workers, 10 lakh of whom are registered with the DBOCWWB. The Kejriwal Government provides assistance to these construction workers through 14 different welfare programmes. In addition, during the COVID-induced lockdown and closure of construction activities due to pollution, the Kejriwal Government has provided more than Rs 600 crore in assistance to registered construction workers in the last year.
