New Delhi:
Over six lakh labourers are working 24 hours to make Delhi a world class city ahead of the Commonwealth Games.
According to the law, 10 per cent of the total cost of any construction project should include housing for labourers, however, NDTV spoke to workers who say they don't even get their minimum wages and their living conditions are dismal.
350 crores have been allocated for the welfare of labourers in Delhi. To date only 2 lakh have been spent.
Mukhtar, a labourer says, "I work 14 hours a day and get paid Rs.100."
By law, the labourers should have more than a plastic sheet above their head. A clean living quarter with toilets and drinking water but in reality there is nothing.
"No facilities have been provided to us. They say work here and live here. It's really cold, but
what can we do?'', says, Durga Devi, a labourer.
On paper the government claims they have spent around Rs. 25 crore on health and education schemes.
On the ground however, there is little evidence, as lakhs of construction workers live without basic facilities.
Subhash Bhatnagar, Member, The Construction Workers' Welfare Board, says, ''The board has Rs. 350 crore. It should have collected 1,000 crore. But it didn't. .''
Now the Delhi High Court has set up a 4-member committee to look into welfare of labourers working on all Commonwealth Games related projects .
The organization alleges that companies are saving hundreds of crores by denying the minimum pay and overtime wage to workers.
In its complaint, the Peoples Union of Democratic Rights (PUDR) said, "Living conditions are dismal. There are no doors and tin sheets have been provided to cover the entrance, in most huts there is no provision for locking rooms and little or no protection from winter winds, no fans for the summers and cooking is done within the room."
NDTV contacted two of the biggest Commonwealth contractors, JMC India limited and the
Ahluwalia contractors, building huge stadiums for the games in the capital. While JMC India has not responded, Ahuluwalia contractors working for EMAAR MGF has put the blame back on the government.
"It may be pertinent to note that Delhi State Government had levied a labour welfare CESS on the construction industry and 1% of the value of work done is deducted from the bills of all the contractors working in Delhi State on this account. Although a huge amount running in several crores has been collected but the government has failed to utilize this money for the purpose it is being collected from the construction projects.... ", said a statement by Ahluwalia contractors.
Crores are lying with the Construction Workers Welfare Board but most workers say they do not even get their minimum wages and are forced to sleep under plastic sheets.
The Delhi government says it is trying but nothing can be done overnight.
Delhi Chief Secretary Rakesh Mehta says, "We are looking for alternative schemes.. but first we have invested in health and education...There are administrative problems."
So while Delhi hopes to reap the rich awards from the Commonwealth Games the hands putting the Games together may just go empty handed as both their employers, and the government, it seems has failed them.