A two-day Building and Other Construction Workers (BOCW) conference concluded in Mumbai on 12 September 2026, bringing together states and Union Territories to exchange best practices and deliberate on strengthening welfare, skilling, employment, and service delivery for one of India's most vulnerable labour segments. The event underscored an urgent push for tighter coordination between the Centre and state administrations to make welfare delivery more effective and equitable.

Key Concerns Raised by the Labour Secretary

Dr. Chandra Bhushan Kumar, Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, set the tone by mapping out the sector's persistent challenges and emerging opportunities. He stressed that placing the dignity of labour at the heart of policy design — and reinforcing the skill ecosystem — is essential to building a more responsive and resilient labour framework for construction workers.

Dr. Kumar also flagged critical gaps in information access and market linkages, arguing that asymmetries between jobseekers and employers continue to hobble effective welfare delivery. He called for mechanisms that actively connect workers to opportunities, particularly in light of the large-scale interstate and international mobility that defines this workforce.

Occupational health, physical safety, and workplace protections were among the other priorities he highlighted, noting that these concerns are too often sidelined in programme design. He urged more frequent virtual engagements between the Centre and states to sustain collaboration and accelerate mutual learning.

Pathways for Strengthening the BOCW Ecosystem

Looking ahead, the Secretary outlined a roadmap that includes consolidating the diverse welfare measures currently in operation across states and deploying greater actuarial analysis to ensure that welfare interventions remain financially sustainable over the long term. He also called for international and interstate worker mobility to be formally integrated into social security scheme design — a structural adjustment that analysts say has been overdue.

State Presentations and Best Practices

The second day of the conference featured a series of state and UT presentations spotlighting innovative initiatives. Uttar Pradesh showcased its Skill Development of Building Workers programme; Rajasthan presented its Digital Labour Chowks; Bihar highlighted the Shram Seva Suvidha Kendras; and Assam introduced the Nirman Sakhi Portal, an initiative aimed at improving digital access to welfare services for construction workers.

A dedicated session on Skilling and Employment included presentations from the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship on training pathways and from the Ministry of Labour and Employment on India's broader employment growth trajectory, followed by open discussions.

Why This Conference Matters

India's construction sector employs an estimated 5 crore workers, many of whom remain outside formal social security nets despite the BOCW Act mandating cess-funded welfare boards in every state. This comes amid longstanding criticism that BOCW cess funds — running into thousands of crores — remain underutilised in several states, leaving workers without the benefits they are legally entitled to. The conference, in that context, is as much an accountability exercise as a policy exchange. Whether the commitments made in Mumbai translate into on-ground change will depend on the follow-through from state governments in the months ahead.