Rs. 31733.76 crore have been collected as Construction Workers’ Welfare Cess by the States/UTs upto 31.12.2016, at the rate of 1% of the cost of construction. Out of it Rs. 6872.51 crore has been spent.
The Building and Other Construction Workers’ Welfare Cess Act, 1996, provides for levy and collection of cess at such rate not exceeding two per cent but not less than one per cent of the cost of construction as the Central Government may notify. The cess has been levied and being collected at the rate of 1% of the cost of construction as notified by the Central Government in the Official Gazette.
The cess at the above rate is collected by the State Governments/ Union Territory Administrations and utilized for the welfare of the building and other construction workers by the State Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Boards constituted by the State Governments/Union Territory Administrations under the Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996.