Accepting 90 days employment certificate by construction workers' union as proof: DBOCWWB tells Delhi HC

The Delhi Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board (DBOCWWB) told the Delhi High Court that it is even accepting 90 days employment certificate issued by the registered construction workers union as sufficient documents as the present address of proof for renewal of registration of workers in the national capital.

A division bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rajnish Bhatnagar observed that it is possible that the address contained in such a certificate may not correctly reflect the "present address" of the applicant construction worker and therefore, the bench suggested that in case the applicant wishes to provide his present address - apart from providing an address which is reflected in one or more of the 16 documents enlisted, the Board should accept the said "present address" of the applicant without requiring any further proof.

The Board said that it would reply on the same on the next date of hearing. The court listed the matter for further hearing on July 30.

The court reiterated that the applications should not be rejected only on account of the bank particulars not disclosing the facility of online banking.

"However, the applicant should be made aware that he would not be able to receive the funds unless he provides the MICR/ IFSC details. It should be possible for the applicant to update these particulars even at a later stage, i.e. after submission of form for registration/renewal and its grant. It goes without saying that no applicant would fail in providing such particulars, since it would be in his own interest to provide MICR/ IFSC details, without which, he would not receive the amounts disbursed by the Board," the court said.

The court noted that a large number of applications for fresh registration, as well as for renewals, are still pending. The court said that the pendency of these applications means that a large workforce of building workers - who may be entitled to receive the ex gratia amount disbursed by the Board, are being denied the said amounts in these trying times.

The court was hearing a plea filed by activist Sunil Kumar Aledia through advocate Shiven Varma seeking to provide relief and all mandated benefits to workers and migrant labourers and also sought an order directing the respondents and concerned authorities to ensure that all the construction workers whose names have been filed by construction compes and employers with the Labour Department are promptly registered as beneficiaries under the Building and other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act (BOCW Act).

( With inputs from ANI )