Raipur, January 14, 2026: Labour Minister Lakhanlal Devangan on Wednesday shared details of the activities and achievements of the Chhattisgarh Labour Department during a press conference, highlighting major progress in worker registration, welfare schemes, inspections, and reforms over the past two years.
The minister said that boards under the Labour Department registered a total of 11.40 lakh workers in the last two years. This includes around 9.4 lakh construction workers, 1.39 lakh unorganised workers, and nearly 98,000 organised sector workers.
He informed that 71 welfare schemes are being implemented through departmental boards. During the same period, 29,55,254 workers were provided benefits amounting to Rs 804.77 crore. Of this, about Rs 653.75 crore was disbursed to 28,49,167 construction workers, Rs 143.77 crore to 91,595 unorganised workers, and Rs 7.24 crore to 14,592 organised workers. All benefits are being transferred directly to workers’ bank accounts through a centralised Direct Benefit Transfer system.
Speaking on ease of doing business, the minister said factory inspections are now conducted through an automated system. Over the last two years, 2,218 inspections were carried out under the Factories Act. Following detection of violations, 666 prosecution cases were filed before labour courts, resulting in recovery of more than Rs 5 crore as penalties.
Under the Employees’ State Insurance Act, the number of insured workers 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. The state currently has 43 ESI dispensaries, with four new dispensaries in the pipeline.
The minister stated that all 17 labour reforms recommended by the Government of India under business reform initiatives have been implemented in the state in the interest of workers and employers. To provide relief to small traders, the Chhattisgarh Shops and Establishments Act, 2017, along with Rules, 2021, has been made applicable only to establishments employing 10 or more workers.
He also highlighted the introduction of a new category of workers known as “fixed-term employment workers,” who are entitled to wages and benefits at par with regular employees. To promote women’s empowerment, women workers have been allowed conditional employment during night shifts. The validity of factory licences has also been extended from 10 to 15 years.
The minister further informed that the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India, has replaced 29 old labour laws with four new Labour Codes. The process of framing corresponding state rules is underway. Once implemented, the new codes will strengthen worker protection by ensuring appointment letters, equal work opportunities for women in all sectors, improved minimum wages, annual health check-ups by employers, and social security for gig and platform workers through the proposed National Social Security Board.
Outlining future plans, the minister said a proposal to extend the Chhattisgarh Shops and Establishments Act to establishments employing 20 or more workers has been passed again by the State Assembly and sent for Presidential assent. Under ESI services, dispensaries at 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. A new scheme titled “Atal Career Building Scheme” will be introduced to provide coaching support for competitive examinations to children of registered construction workers pursuing higher education.
The Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Shram Anna Yojana will be expanded by setting up labour food centres in all districts. To strengthen grievance redressal and public awareness, new facilities such as messaging services, mobile number verification, and AI-based agency support will be introduced. This will allow workers to track the status of their complaints online from home through the departmental portal.
The press conference was attended by Additional Labour Commissioner S. L. Jangde, Savita Mishra, Secretary of the Chhattisgarh Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board Girish Ramteke, and Manish Shrivastava, In-charge Director, Industrial Health and Safety. The minister concluded by thanking members of the media.
