Labour Minister Akash Fundkar Announces Rs 600 Cr Skill Centres, Seeks CREDAI Pune Partnership

Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Associations of India Pune hosted its Construction Safety Awards, where Maharashtra Labour Minister Akash Pandurang Fundkar announced plans to invest nearly Rs 600 crore in setting up modern skill development centres for construction workers and invited industry partnership for workforce training and safety.

Addressing the gathering, Fundkar said the government aims to establish advanced training centres in key locations such as Mumbai and Nagpur to build a future-ready workforce equipped with modern technologies and equipment. He urged CREDAI Pune and industry stakeholders to collaborate closely with the government on worker registration, welfare outreach, skill development and safety awareness.

He emphasised that safety must go beyond compliance and become a core culture across construction sites. He also highlighted the need for effective utilisation of welfare cess and improved worker registration under the BOCW framework to ensure benefits reach eligible workers.

The awards ceremony recognised excellence in construction safety and reinforced its importance in the real estate sector. A comprehensive safety manual was also unveiled during the event to strengthen safety standards and practices across the industry.

CREDAI Pune representatives said the initiative has helped build awareness and foster a culture of safety across projects, evolving into a platform for knowledge sharing, best practices and continuous improvement.