TFP Bureau,Raipur, January 14, 2026: Labour Minister Shri Lakhanlal Dewangan on Wednesday said that the Chhattisgarh Labour Department has made significant progress in expanding worker registration, welfare coverage and labour reforms over the past two years. Addressing a press conference here, the Minister shared detailed information on the department’s activities, achievements and future योजनाएँ aimed at strengthening worker welfare while improving the ease of doing business in the state.
The Minister informed that boards functioning under the Labour Department have registered a total of 11.40 lakh workers during the last two years. This includes around 9.4 lakh construction workers, 1.39 lakh unorganised workers and 98,000 organised sector workers. He said the registration drive has helped bring a large number of workers under the ambit of social security and welfare schemes.
Under 71 welfare schemes operated by various boards, benefits worth ₹804.77 crore have been provided to 29,55,254 workers in the past two years. Of this, 28,49,167 construction workers received approximately ₹653.75 crore, 91,595 unorganised workers were given around ₹143.77 crore, and 14,592 organised workers received ₹7.24 crore. The Minister said all benefits are being transferred directly into the beneficiaries’ bank accounts through a centralised Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system, ensuring transparency and timely payments.
Shri Dewangan said that in line with the Ease of Doing Business reforms, factory inspections are now being conducted through an automated and transparent system. Over the last two years, 2,218 factory inspections have been carried out under the Factories Act across the state. In cases where violations were detected, 666 prosecutions were filed in the Honourable Labour Court, leading to the recovery of fines amounting to more than ₹5 crore.
Providing details of social security measures, the Minister said that under the Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) Act, the number of insured workers in the state has increased from 4.60 lakh to 6.26 lakh in two years. At present, 100-bed ESI hospitals are functioning in Raipur, Korba, Raigarh and Bhilai, while steps are underway to start a similar hospital in Bilaspur. In addition, 43 ESI dispensaries are operational in the state, and the process of opening four new dispensaries is in progress.
The Labour Minister said that the department has implemented all 17 reforms recommended by the Government of India under the Business Reforms initiative in the interest of both workers and employers. To provide relief to small businesses, the Chhattisgarh Shops and Establishments Act, 2017, along with the Rules of 2021, has been made applicable to establishments employing 10 or more workers.
He further said that a new category of employees, fixed-term employment workers, has been introduced, ensuring that such workers receive the same wages, allowances and benefits as regular employees. As part of women empowerment initiatives, women workers have been allowed to work night shifts under prescribed safety conditions. The validity of factory licences has also been extended from 10 years to 15 years.
Shri Dewangan informed that the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India, has replaced 29 old labour laws with four new labour codes, and the process of framing state-level rules under these codes is underway. He said the new labour codes will strengthen worker protection by ensuring appointment letters for every worker, better minimum wages, annual health check-ups by employers, expanded employment opportunities for women, and the formation of a National Social Security Board for gig and platform workers.
Outlining future plans, the Minister said that a bill to extend the Chhattisgarh Shops and Establishments Act to establishments employing 20 or more workers has been passed again by the State Legislative Assembly and sent for the approval of the Honourable President. Under ESI services, dispensaries in Raigarh, Kumhari and Birgaon will be upgraded and developed as model dispensaries.
He also announced that a separate health check-up scheme will be launched for registered construction workers. In addition, the Atal Career Development Scheme will be introduced to provide coaching for competitive examinations to the children of registered construction workers. The Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Shram Anna Yojana will be expanded to all districts through the establishment of labour food centres.
To further strengthen grievance redressal and public awareness, the department plans to introduce messaging facilities, mobile number verification and AI-based assistance for agents. This will enable workers to track the status of their grievances online and receive timely updates from the comfort of their homes.
Concluding the press conference, Labour Minister Shri Lakhanlal Dewangan thanked media representatives for their cooperation and support in disseminating information related to labour welfare and reforms.
