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A CAG performance audit tabled in the Goa Legislature has exposed major lapses in the welfare of construction workers. Over 798 interstate labourers were unregistered, missing out on benefits, while poor data sharing weakened oversight. Village panchayats failed to collect a 1% cess, losing INR 3.8 crore, and builders withheld INR 5.2 crore. Administrative costs soared beyond the 5% cap, and funds lay idle in low-interest accounts. Unqualified people were wrongly registered for COVID-19 benefits, and site inspections were irregular, with safety gear and facilities often missing. The CAG urged tighter registration, better cess recovery, stricter inspections, and faster delivery of welfare benefits.
A recent performance audit, presented to the Goa Legislature earlier this week, highlights serious failings in the welfare of construction workers. The CAG examined the state's Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board over recent years and found that migrant labourers over 798 interstate workers were entirely unregistered as beneficiaries, leaving them without access to welfare schemes. Agencies failed to share data or coordinate efforts, weakening oversight and monitoring. Advertisement
Financial lapses added to the concern. Village panchayats did not collect the mandatory 1 per cent cess, resulting in a INR 3.8 crore loss, while builders delayed or skipped remittances worth INR 5.2 crore. Administrative spending ranged between 7.8 per cent and an alarming 99 per cent well above the permitted 5 per cent. Meanwhile, the welfare corpus sat idle in low-interest accounts.
The audit also flagged that unqualified individuals such as tailors, housewives, and farmers were erroneously registered to access COVID-19 ration benefits, inflating beneficiary numbers.
Safety measures fared no better. Inspectors, though fully staffed, conducted irregular and superficial checks. Sites often lacked basic safety gear, accommodation, or mess facilities.
The CAG called for multiple reforms: robust registration drives targeting genuine construction workers; seamless data exchange between agencies; reliable cess collection and fund management; mandatory health and safety policies for employers with more than 50 workers; stronger inspection frameworks with penalties for violations; and faster delivery of welfare benefits to the intended recipients.
This audit echoes long-standing concerns: unless registration systems are inclusive, financial governance is tightened, and workplace safety is enforced consistently, the welfare schemes cannot reach their intended beneficiaries.
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