The Supreme Court on Monday sought the response of the Centre on a petition alleging lack of a safety code for construction workers under the new Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (Central) Rules, 2026 in the light of a recent wall collapse in Gurugram that killed seven workers and injured four.
Give us a chart where you state the gaps under the new rules as compared to the prior code. The court was also of the view that builders should create a corpus for welfare of construction workers. He added that there is no remedy under the present code specifying a forum or tribunal where construction workers or their dependants can compensation claims. The court added: “The Director of Town Country and Planning is the authority which issues licences to builders. There is a separate statute governing issue of these licences. If statute creates an obligation, it becomes easy to implement. The government can notify either labour courts or industrial courts to deal with compensation claims. The petition also sought a complete inquiry into the March collapse as well as determination and payment of compensation and statutory dues to the deceased and injured workers and their families. It also sought establishment of a national record of construction fatalities and their causes. The petition has made the Haryana government, the relevant state departments and police authorities as parties. The court order requires a response to be filed by them.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the petitioner told the court that the immediate occasion for filing the petition was the collapse of a retaining wall during an excavation work carried out at the Signature Global City of Colours project at Sidhrawali, Gurugram in March . The bench, also comprising justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana said, “We are issuing notice. Bhushan said that this would require a Central rule.
