Compensation to Construction Workers | 04 Mar 2025

Why in News? 

The Supreme Court ordered Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan to compensate construction workers whenever Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) measures in Delhi-NCR halt activities, even without a specific court directive. 

 Key Points 

• Compensation Payment: 
  • The Supreme Court directed that compensation must be paid using funds collected as labour cess. 
  • Compensation should be disbursed even in the absence of a specific court order. 
• GRAP and Air Quality Measures: 
  • GRAP measures are implemented based on the average air quality in Delhi-NCR to curb pollution levels. 
  • The court reaffirmed that compensation must be paid whenever construction activities are halted due to GRAP measures in 2024 and 2025. 
• State-wise Compensation Details: 
  • Haryana paid compensation to: 
    • 2,68,759 workers in the first phase of GRAP-4. 
    • 2,24,881 workers in the second phase. 
    • Around 95,000 workers are in the process of receiving compensation for January 2025. 
  • Delhi disbursed compensation to 93,272 workers, while the verification process for remaining registered workers is ongoing. 
  • Rajasthan compensated 3,197 workers. 
  • Uttar Pradesh paid compensation to: 
    • 4,88,246 workers in phase 1. 
    • 4,84,157 workers in phase 2. 
    • 691 workers in phase 3. 
• Registration and Union Meetings: 
  • The court directed the Delhi government to convene meetings with workers' unions to ensure proper registration of construction workers. 
  • Similar directions were issued to Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan, covering: 
    • 14 districts in Haryana 
    • 8 districts in Uttar Pradesh 
    • 2 districts in Rajasthan (Bharatpur and Alwar) 
• Accountability of NCR States: 
  • On 2 December 2024, the court asked Chief Secretaries of NCR States to appear via video conferencing to confirm whether subsistence allowance was paid to workers affected by work stoppages. 
  • Significance: 
    • The order reinforces the right to compensation for vulnerable workers during environmental curbs. 
    • It ensures financial security for labourers affected by pollution control measures.