SHIMLA/HAMIRPUR: The Himachal Pradesh Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board (HPBOCW) has come under sharp criticism from workers over its decision to spend ₹1 crore on publicity and advertisement, including wall paintings and outdoor LED displays, even as thousands of construction workers continue to await meaningful welfare support.
The controversy follows the Board’s 55th meeting chaired by its Chairman Nardev Singh Kanwar, where approval was given for ₹1 crore under the publicity and advertisement head for durable wall paintings on government buildings and LED displays at Gandhi Chowk, Hamirpur, and other district and zonal headquarters.
Workers have questioned the rationale behind such expenditure, arguing that scarce welfare funds should go directly towards workers rather than publicity material, hoardings and wall writings.
They demanded that the Board should put the expenditure being incurred on advertising over the last four years and other wasteful expenditure. It is time of direct benefit transfer system and money meant for workers should not squandered on meangless advertising and expenditure, they asserted demanding accountability on the part of the board and its officials.
The Board itself said that ₹20.61 crore was disbursed among 4,967 registered workers under various welfare schemes on Independence Day. This works out to an average of only about ₹41,500 per worker.
“On one hand, a worker receives around ₹41,500 in welfare assistance, while the Board proposes to spend ₹1 crore merely on advertising its schemes. This exposes a serious distortion of priorities,” workers said.
Who benefits from the ₹1-crore publicity budget?
Workers have demanded complete transparency over the proposed expenditure, including agency selection, tendering, rates, locations, number of hoardings, wall-painting contracts and payments made.
They questioned whether such publicity expenditure has any measurable impact on workers' welfare and sought a public audit of every rupee spent under the publicity and advertisement head and on TA DA and salaries of the its members and officials.
“Instead of strengthening scholarships, medical assistance, education support, pensions, tools, maternity benefits and other welfare measures, the Board is diverting precious public money into publicity,” representatives of construction workers alleged.
The decision to promote schemes through wall paintings has also raised eyebrows, particularly in urban areas where indiscriminate wall writing can run contrary to municipal and civic norms.
On the other hand Board chairperson Kanwar said the advertising campaign is being done as per guidelines of the government of india. It aimed at creating awareness about government schemes and there is conflict of interest, he claimed.
Few hoardings, ₹1 crore proposal
Workers pointed out that only a limited number of such publicity installations are visible at prominent locations, raising questions about how a ₹1-crore allocation would be utilised and accounted for.
They demanded that the Board disclose the complete expenditure plan and place all contracts and payments in the public domain.
The allegations, however, remain claims by workers and require verification through the Board's tender and expenditure records. Workers have called for an independent audit to establish whether the expenditure is justified and whether procurement has followed transparent procedures.
“The Board is meant to be a welfare institution for construction workers, not an advertising agency,” workers said, demanding that the government review the decision.
They further alleged that if public money is being channelled to private hoarding and publicity agencies without demonstrable welfare outcomes, it could raise questions of conflict of interest and possible favouritism. They demanded that any such allegation be investigated independently rather than ignored.
