The welfare and safety of workers is paramount to the government. agenda, Labor Minister Subhash claims

Labor Minister Vasamsetti Subhash attended the ‘Shramashakti and Best Management Awards – 2026’ awards ceremony organized by the Andhra Pradesh Labor Department in Vijayawada as the chief guest. | Photo credit: GN RAO

Labor Minister Vasamsetti Subhash said the coalition government was giving top priority to the welfare, safety, employment and healthcare of workers in the state.

The Ministry of Labor organized the ‘Shramashakti and Best Management Awards–2026’ here on Wednesday. Speaking on the occasion, the minister said that the government considers workers and management as the “two eyes” of industrial development and strives to maintain a balanced approach between labor welfare and industrial growth.

“When a worker enters the workplace, it is equivalent to putting his life in the hands of the employer, and therefore industries must ensure strict safety standards and protective measures for employees,” he said.

Criticizing the previous government for neglecting welfare, Mr. Subhash said that several welfare schemes meant for construction workers had earlier been terminated, affecting their livelihood. He added that the NDA government has revived these schemes while creating a friendly atmosphere for the industry through the policies of ease of doing business and speed of doing business.

The minister said that the state is witnessing increasing investment leading to more employment opportunities and that the government is moving fast to fulfill its promise of creating 20 thousand jobs.

He highlighted welfare measures for building and construction workers and said the government was providing ₹20,000 as marriage assistance, ₹20,000 as maternity assistance, ₹60,000 as natural death benefit and ₹20,000 for funeral expenses.

Mr. Subhash further announced that ‘Labour Addas’ are being set up across the state to provide facilities like employment assistance, rest stops, washrooms, food and skill training to the workers. He also said that the government is conducting health screening tests for construction workers with an expenditure of ₹250 crore.

The minister said that modern ESI hospitals are being set up in Tirupati, Achyutapuram, Guntur, Kurnool and Visakhapatnam, while proposals have been prepared to set up 30 new ESI dispensaries in Andhra Pradesh.

He said the government is also conducting third-party safety audits in factories through a memorandum of understanding with universities to achieve “zero accidents” in industries through special safety protocols.

The minister noted that the government is strengthening the labor sector on five pillars – welfare, skill development, employment, healthcare and dignity. He congratulated the workers and management who received awards for excellence during the event and urged all sections to work together to build a Swarna Andhra Pradesh where every worker lived with dignity and every youth got job opportunities.

Ministry of Labour, Factories, Boiler and Insurance Department Secretary Seshagiri Babu said that several reforms have been introduced in the department in line with labor codes. He said awareness programs are underway to educate workers about the benefits of labor laws and steps are being taken to expand e-Shram and BOC registrations.

AP Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board Chairman V. Mallikharjuna Rao, Gottumukkala Welfare Advisory Committee Chairman Raghu Rama Raju, Minimum Wages Advisory Committee Chairman P. Srinivasulu Reddy, Social Welfare Committee Vice Chairman G. Venkata Shivudu Yadav, G. Venkata Lanvudu Yadav, Implementation Commission and D. Chandrudu and NTR District Collector G. Lakshmisha.

Published – 20 May 2026 20:42 IST