Haryana Labour Minister Anil Vij Busts Rs 1,500-Crore Fake Work Slip Scam in Construction Workers Welfare Board
Massive fraud uncovered: 5.46 lakh invalid work slips, 1.93 lakh fake registrations detected across 13 districts; entire villages fraudulently enrolled to siphon off welfare benefits worth lakhs per person
Newsarc Bureau
Chandigarh, December 30, 2025: In a major expose of long-standing corruption, Haryana Labour Minister Anil Vij has uncovered a staggering scam estimated at around Rs 1,500 crore in the Haryana Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board. The fraud involves widespread issuance of fake work slips and bogus registrations, allowing ineligible individuals to illegally avail generous welfare benefits meant exclusively for genuine construction workers.
The revelations came to light during a recent Board meeting chaired by Minister Vij, where irregularities were flagged not only in member appointments but also in the distribution of scheme benefits. Promptly ordering a statewide inquiry, Vij directed district-level committees — comprising Labour Department officers and three additional officials — to conduct physical verification of all online work slips issued between August 2023 and March 2025.
So far, 100% verification has been completed in 13 districts: Karnal, Rewari, Nuh (Mewat), Mahendragarh, Gurugram, Jhajjar, Palwal, Panipat, Rohtak, Sonipat, Panchkula, Sirsa, and Kaithal. The findings are shocking — out of 5,99,758 work slips issued in these districts, only 53,249 were found valid, while a whopping 5,46,509 were declared invalid.
On the registration front, of 2,21,517 labour cards examined, merely 14,240 workers qualified as eligible, rendering 1,93,756 registrations fraudulent. Earlier probes in districts like Hisar, Kaithal, Jind, Sirsa, Faridabad, and Bhiwani had already hinted at large-scale malpractice.
Describing the scam as “outright loot of government schemes,” Vij revealed that in several cases, entire villages were falsely registered to generate work slips, enabling non-workers to claim benefits averaging Rs 2.5 lakh per person. This has inflicted financial losses running into hundreds of crores on the state treasury.
Given the magnitude of the irregularities, Minister Vij has formally written to Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, recommending a high-level probe by a reputed investigating agency.
To curb further misuse, instructions have been issued to halt acceptance of new applications during the ongoing verification. SARAL Centres have been directed accordingly, and RTS timelines suspended. However, approved pensions continue uninterrupted, and priority is being given to releasing benefits under death, accident, and funeral assistance schemes.
The verification process is rigorous, encompassing checks on workplace authenticity, actual engagement in construction activities, employer verification, local inquiries, and on-ground inspections.
Haryana runs an extensive array of welfare schemes for registered construction workers (post verification of at least 90 days of work), including:
- Maternity benefit: Rs 36,000
- Paternity benefit: Rs 21,000
- Educational assistance for children: Rs 8,000–20,000 annually
- Merit scholarships: Rs 21,000–51,000
- Full reimbursement for technical/professional courses
- Hostel aid up to Rs 1.2 lakh
- Electric scooter incentive: Rs 50,000 for daughters
- Laptop grant: Rs 49,000
- Bicycle, tools, sewing machine grants
- Kanyadaan Yojana: Rs 1,01,000 for marriage of up to three daughters
- Old-age pension (post-60): Rs 3,500/month
- Disability and family pensions
- Accidental death compensation: Up to Rs 5,15,000
- Interest-free housing loans up to Rs 2 lakh
Minister Vij reiterated the government’s commitment to ensuring these benefits reach only deserving workers, declaring zero tolerance for corruption. “Strict action will be taken against all those found guilty, irrespective of their position,” he asserted.
The crackdown underscores the present government’s resolve to plug leakages and safeguard public funds meant for the upliftment of labour communities.
