Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje Criticizes Karnataka's Labour Welfare Practices
Conducting health camp and distributing kits is not labour welfare, says Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje
The Hindu
Image: The Hindu
Union Minister of State for Labour, Employment and MSME Shobha Karandlaje criticized the Karnataka government for mismanaging funds meant for construction workers' welfare. She emphasized the need to allocate the ₹15,000 crore collected annually for pensions and social security instead of merely conducting health camps.
- 01Shobha Karandlaje alleges mismanagement of construction welfare funds in Karnataka.
- 02₹15,000 crore is collected annually through construction cess, but funds are underutilized.
- 03Current welfare measures focus on health camps rather than long-term benefits.
- 04Karandlaje advocates for pensions and social security for construction workers.
- 05Other states have adopted better welfare practices, unlike Karnataka.
Advertisement
In-Article Ad
Union Minister of State for Labour, Employment and MSME Shobha Karandlaje criticized the Karnataka government for its ineffective management of funds designated for construction workers' welfare. Speaking in Hubballi, Karnataka, on May 1, 2026, she highlighted that the state collects approximately ₹15,000 crore (roughly $1.8 billion USD) annually through construction cess, yet these funds are not being utilized effectively. Instead of focusing on long-term benefits such as pensions and social security, the government's approach has been limited to conducting health camps and distributing kits, which she claims leads to the misappropriation of funds. Karandlaje pointed out that while some states have successfully implemented better welfare measures, Karnataka has yet to adopt these recommendations, leaving construction workers without essential support.
Advertisement
In-Article Ad
If the proposed changes are implemented, construction workers in Karnataka could gain access to vital financial support and social security benefits.
Advertisement
In-Article Ad
Reader Poll
Do you support reallocating construction cess funds for worker pensions and social security?
Connecting to poll...
Read the original article
Visit the source for the complete story.