Delhi govt's worker training scheme: A wait for compensation, better wages

Mission Kushal Karmi, launched by Delhi govt in July, aims to train 200,000 workers in one year

“It was the money that attracted us to the training,” says Jitendra (<he gives only his first name>), an assistant shuttering carpenter trainee. He is talking about Mission Kushal Karmi, Delhi government's scheme to improve construction workers' skills. The state government has promised to pay Rs 4,200 to every worker who completes the 15-day training programme, which was launched on July 6 with the aim of upgrading the skills of 200,000 construction workers in a year.

Unemployed for three months, Jitendra and his brothers – who came to Delhi from Madhya Pradesh with their families in tow to work as construction workers – were among the first to enrol in the inaugural batch. They were lured more by the money than the “skilled worker certificate” and labour card. But after completing the training, the brothers are unemployed again.

Altogether 200 people enrolled for the scheme. Training for the first batch of the pilot project ended on July 26. Those who cleared the assessment test have received the skill certificate and labour card but are awaiting the Rs 4,200 wage-loss compensation.

The government says the training will increase workers’ income to Rs 8,000 per month, enhance their productivity by 40 per cent and the quality of products they make by 25 per cent, and decrease wastage by 50 per cent.

Business Standard spoke to 20 – that is, 10 per cent – of the trainees. Most of them said their efficiency and efficacy had improved after the training but the wages hadn’t increased for any one of them. All of them said they were not even getting the promised minimum wage.

According to the Delhi labour department’s May 23 order, the monthly minimum wages for unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled labourers in the state are Rs 16,506, Rs 18,187, and Rs 20,019, respectively. However, the wages that they actually receive vary from Rs 9,000 for unskilled to Rs 18,000 for skilled workers.

“We have learned how to measure an area and use tools but there is no increase in our wages,” says Rohit Kumar Sharma, a trainee.

When contacted, S C Yadav, additional labour commissioner, Delhi, said, “If the workers do not get minimum wages, they should lodge a complaint. Otherwise, we cannot take action. There is no provision for the department to take suo motu action.”

The workers are, however, glad that besides technical learning and a government certificate declaring them skilled workers, they are getting labour cards.

The next batch

While training for the second batch ended on Sunday, the schedule for the next one is unclear. Sohail Abbas, trainer at the Simplex Infrastructures site in Dwarka, says, “I have not received any information about registrations for the next batch.”

Pohap Singh, a trainer at the India Vision Foundation site in Burari, is worried about finding workers to register for the upcoming batch. “If the government does not release the Rs 4,200 compensation, the enrollments will decrease.”

Harshil Sharma, research consultant, Delhi Building and Other Construction Workers’ Welfare Board (DBOCWWB), explains that there was a delay in receiving the bank account details of workers from the Delhi Skill and Entrepreneurship University (DSEU). “Transferring money to workers’ accounts is on our priority list,” he adds.

The upskilling programme includes an hour-long theoretical class and seven hours of practical training every day. Trainers say while theoretical classes are not a problem, practical training has been erratic due to the interference of contractors at the sites. “We are even stopped from entering the site since it leads to work loss for the contractor,” says a trainer.

Harshil Sharma agrees, “Enforcement at the subcontractor and supervisor level is not possible. But we will soon talk to contractors about allowing the trainee to work freely without worrying about the output during the training.”

An ambitious project

DSEU, along with Simplex, the National Real Estate Development Council and the India Vision Foundation is conducting the programme. It aims to train workers for 120 hours in a workplace-like environment in five roles: assistant mason; assistant bar bender and steel fixer; assistant shuttering carpenter; assistant electrician; and assistant construction painter and decorator.

DBOCWWB, according to its meeting held on August 1, would pay Rs 12,080 for 15 days (120 hours) of training per worker. The money is to be divided into three heads: Rs 5,880 to the training provider; Rs 4,200 to workers as wage-loss compensation; and Rs 2,000 to DSEU for implementation and assessment.

The training period can be extended to three months, according to the board. If the Delhi government provides training for 15 days and meets its target of 200,000 trainees, it will spend Rs 241.60 crore. Of this, 48.67 per cent (Rs 117.60 crore) would go to trainers, 16.56 per cent (Rs 40 crore) to DSEU, and 34.77 per cent (Rs 84 crore) to workers through direct benefit transfer.

A matter of funds

According to a 2018 Supreme Court order, the expenses to be incurred under the head “skill development” in a financial year should not exceed 10 per cent of the cess collected in the previous year. In FY22, the DBOCWWB collected Rs 227 crore as cess. If the government spends Rs 241.60 crore on the scheme, it would be 964.3 per cent higher than the permissible limit. And if it increases the training duration to three months, the government will end up spending Rs 1,249.60 crore, which is 5,404.84 per cent above the permissible limit. The expenses on tools, consumables, boarding and lodging for the scheme are unaccounted for.

The Delhi government did not respond to an email from Business Standard on the matter.

Sidheshwar Prasad Shukla, a DBOCWWB member, questions the government spending. “The government should ask DSEU to hire more trainers on its payroll or on contract and provide training. It should not include private players,” he says.