Sonepur: Scores of registered construction workers have been deprived of the first phase of Covid assistance in Subarnapur district, as their Aadhaar has not been linked with their bank accounts.
According to reports, 2,463 construction workers are yet to receive their assistance money. It was said that officials of the block, panchayat, NACs and municipalities had tried to trace out those workers, but failed to identify them.
Further, 22,444 construction workers have not received their Covid assistance for the second phase. The government is crediting the assistance money into the bank accounts of the beneficiaries but these workers are yet to receive the amount.
The Centre has made it mandatory to link Aadhaar with the bank accounts, but many construction workers have not linked their Aadhaar with their bank accounts in the district. Another problem is that there is mismatch of names of the beneficiaries in the bank accounts and in Aadhaar.
It has become a challenge for the administration to identify such a huge number of construction workers and deliver them their assistance money.
Due to the alarming spread of Covid-19, the government has affected shutdowns and lockdowns. As a result, scores of construction workers lost their jobs and sat idle for months together and their families had to face hardships.
The Labour Welfare Board sanctioned Rs 1,500 for each registered construction worker. The district received Rs 9.12 crore in the first phase as aid to 60,841 construction workers. Till December 2020, the administration distributed Rs 8.75 crore to 58,378 workers, but 2,463 labouers could not be traced. Their assistance money was returned to the state government.
Since June 17, the government has been crediting in the second phase of the assistance money from Bhubaneswar to the accounts of the labourers. Till date, monetary assistance has been provided to 62,525 labourers.
District Labour Officer Dileswar Khakha said that the labourers who have not linked their Aadhaar with their bank accounts should do it immediately to avail their assistance money.
PNN