Mumbai: Labour Minister Adv. Aakash Fundkar has announced a major crackdown on agents who cheat construction workers in Maharashtra by registering them with fake documents and extracting money under false pretenses.
In response to multiple complaints from public representatives and workers across the state, the Labour Department has decided to set up district-level vigilance teams to investigate and take strict action.
These vigilance teams will monitor irregularities in the registration of construction workers, kit distribution, and other welfare schemes. Each team will be headed by the district office in-charge, but to ensure impartiality, they will operate in districts other than their own.
The teams will focus on identifying and curbing fraudulent registrations using fake documents, demands for bribes during registration, and misuse of schemes by submitting false certificates. Criminal cases will be registered against agents found guilty of such frauds, and strict punitive action will be taken.
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To facilitate this campaign, regional offices have been permitted to hire vehicles on rent and utilize administrative funds for other necessary expenses.
Each district-level vigilance team is required to submit a detailed report of its findings to the regional head. These reports, compiled with feedback, will then be sent to the board headquarters.
This special inspection drive will be conducted in its first phase until July 10, 2025. Workers with complaints can submit them directly to the vigilance teams. Each team is mandated to carry out at least one inspection per month and submit consolidated monthly reports to the board.
Minister Aakash Fundkar expressed confidence that this initiative will effectively curb the exploitation of construction workers and bring fraudulent agents to justice.
