Affordable housing units for building workers

BHUBANESWAR: The State Government has initiated steps for providing low cost housing units to construction and building workers under Biju Sramik Awas Yojana as part of the social security programme.Presiding over a high level meeting here on Tuesday, Chief Secretary  BK Patnaik asked the Odisha Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board to construct at least 1000 dwelling units in Bhubaneswar and provide them to construction workers on affordable rent basis.The Board was advised to construct multistoried houses in some selected cities and industrial towns where there is dearth of housing to accommodate construction workers. It was also decided in principle that such projects will be taken up in cities like Cuttack, Jharsuguda, Kalinga Nagar, Angul and Paradip where additional 1000 housing units will be constructed. The Board has augmented around `200 crore as its own fund. The Board informed the meeting that identity cards have been issued to 1,06,145 construction workers and financial assistance has been provided to the next of the kin of the deceased in 34 death cases. Besides, assistance has been given to construction workers in 32 accident cases, five major ailment cases, 27 families to meet the funeral expenses and  education assistance to one person.The Board has been advised to take skill development and health security activities for construction workers in addition to housing. The Board was further advised to take the assistance of the Bhubaneswar Development Authority in matters of providing low cost housing to the workers as BDA has some housing schemes for weaker sections and lower income group people. The proposal for covering construction workers under Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) was also discussed at the meeting. Chairman of the Board, Yogendra Tripathy, Labour Commissioner-cum-member convener Alekh Chandra Padihary along with other officials participated.