In a sharp rebuke, the Supreme Court on Friday criticized the Delhi government for its failure to fully compensate construction workers affected by employment halts due to anti-pollution measures in the capital. The court, consisting of Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih, called out the apparent negligence in disbursing the mandated subsistence allowance.
During the proceedings, the Delhi Chief Secretary, Dharmendra, was interrogated about the partial payment of Rs 2,000, instead of the full Rs 8,000, to 90,693 registered construction workers. The bench, highlighting the critical situation of these workers, directed that the remaining Rs 6,000 be disbursed immediately, questioning the rationale behind the partial payments: “You want the construction workers to starve? Is this not a welfare state?”
The Supreme Court expressed its dissatisfaction with the Chief Secretary’s justification that the remaining payments would follow post-verification of the workers. The bench dismissed this reasoning and stressed the urgency of releasing the funds without delay. Additionally, the court hinted at possible contempt proceedings if the government failed to comply with its directives.
Further complicating the government’s stance, the Chief Secretary’s admission via video conference revealed that only a fraction of the workers had received any financial relief so far. In response, the court asked a public notice be issued to all construction workers, informing them about the registration process and their entitlement to the allowance.
