Haryana's Labour Minister, Anil Vij, has disclosed alarming details from an ongoing investigation into a massive alleged scam within the state's Labour Department, with preliminary estimates pointing to a fraud worth Rs 1,500 crore. The probe, initiated on the minister's directions, has uncovered widespread irregularities in the verification of construction workers, leading to the siphoning of substantial welfare benefits.
Shocking Figures from District Reports
Addressing the media in Ambala, Minister Anil Vij stated that reports received from 13 districts so far have revealed shocking facts. The investigation focused on verifying the authenticity of registered construction workers and their work slips. Out of 5,99,758 work slips examined in these districts, only 53,249 were found to be valid. The remaining overwhelming majority were declared invalid.
Similarly, in a parallel check of registered workers, the findings were equally staggering. Out of 2,21,517 registered workers scrutinized, only 14,240 were confirmed as genuine. This massive discrepancy indicates that benefits intended for legitimate labourers were being illegally drawn in the names of non-existent or unverified individuals.
How the Scam Operated and Was Uncovered
Minister Vij explained that the issue came to his notice soon after he assumed charge of the Labour Department. He highlighted a key red flag: in numerous cases, the verification of thousands of workers was allegedly completed by a single individual—a task that is practically impossible and pointed directly to large-scale, organized fraud.
The state government provides extensive welfare schemes for registered construction workers, including financial aid for children's education up to the PhD level, marriage and childbirth grants, and support for medical treatment. Proper registration and verification are mandatory to avail these benefits.
"When it came to light that individual employees had verified thousands of workers, I first ordered a summary inspection in three districts, which confirmed the irregularities. Thereafter, a statewide investigation was ordered," Vij stated.
Statewide Probe and Pending Reports
Due to insufficient staff in the Labour Department for a comprehensive statewide verification, Deputy Commissioners in each district were instructed to form three-member committees. These committees were tasked with conducting door-to-door checks using district-wise registration lists to physically verify the workers.
While reports from 13 districts have been received, reports from nine other districts are still awaited. The minister warned that the scale of the scam could grow even larger as the probe progresses and more data comes in. "All these aspects will come out in the investigation, and the scale of the scam could be much larger than currently estimated," he added.
Next Steps and Demands for a Deeper Investigation
The minister emphasized that the investigation must now uncover several critical details: who prepared the fake work slips, since when the benefits were being fraudulently drawn, who all benefited from the scam, and which officials carried out or facilitated the bogus verifications.
Anil Vij has recommended a thorough investigation into the matter to the Chief Minister. He stated that the exposed facts make a deeper and wider probe imperative to bring all perpetrators to justice and recover the misappropriated funds meant for the welfare of Haryana's labour force.
