Click to play videoNew Delhi: 5,000 athletes, over one crore tourists and Rs 26,000 crore invested in infrastructure - ironically, the people entrusted to make Delhi a world class city ahead of the Commonwealth Games are working in conditions that are far from world class.
".Workers no longer live in shanties near the construction site but far away. So responsibility of the builder decreases, making them more vulnerable,” says Convenor of Mobile Creches, Anjali Alexander.
Of Delhi's six to eight lakh construction workers, more than one lakh are engaged in construction of Commonwealth projects.
The Building and Other Construction Act guarantees social security for workers.
The Construction Workers Welfare board set up in 2002 has been tasked to ensure accident compensation, maternity benefits and scholarships for workers children.
And as per law, builders have to contribute one per cent of the projects total cost to the Construction Workers Welfare Fund.
But workers say they are yet to receive any benefits.
"They assured us of our children’s education and daily supplies.Nothing happened, our houses keep collapsing and there’s no provision if we fall ill,” says one.
A recent spate of accidents at major construction sites has also added to their woes.
Almost all stakeholders in Commonwealth infrastructure including the Delhi government have been ruing the shortage of funds.
But by the labour ministry's own estimates, to ensure decent conditions for labourers, less than half the amount already available to them is required.
It is now up to the Govt, particularly the labour ministry to ensure that these workers get fair play ahead of the games.
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