Punjab govt hikes grant for marriage of construction workers' daughters from Rs 31,000 to Rs 51,000

The Punjab government has hiked the grant for the marriage of daughters of construction workers from Rs 31,000 to Rs 51,000 under its 'Shagun' scheme from April 1, according to an official statement issued on Saturday.

The decision was taken by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh while chairing the 27th meeting of the Building and Other Construction Workers (BOCW) Welfare Board via videoconferencing on Friday evening, the statement said.

Daughters of construction workers registered with the BOCW Welfare Board are eligible for the grant under the 'Shagun' scheme.

Further, to ease the process of availing the benefit of the scheme, the chief minister has approved modification in the existing conditions to make valid marriage certificates issued by any religious body -- gurdwaras, temples and churches -- acceptable for the purpose, the statement said.

While 50 per cent payment can be availed in advance, the rest shall be provided on submission of the marriage certificate by the competent authority under the revised rules, it said.

Singh also approved Rs 1,500 financial aid to such workers or their family members who test positive for COVID-19, according to the statement.

In another decision, the chief minister announced compensation worth Rs 2 lakh in case of death of a worker in an accident during construction work even if he/she is not registered with the construction board, provided he/she is otherwise eligible to be registered as a construction worker.

Singh also announced the extension of the time-frame from the existing six months to one year for submission of applications for availing benefits of various welfare schemes as many workers could not apply in time due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In another relaxation, the statement said, construction workers can now submit any two of the four government documents, namely Aadhaar card, PAN card, voter ID card and ration card for availing the benefits of schemes.

The board also announced a hike in the annual stipend for construction workers' children -- from Rs 25,000 to Rs 35,000 for boys and from Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000 for girls pursuing degree courses in pharmaceutical or paramedical studies.