Positioning Pune at the forefront of a nationwide shift toward safer construction practices, Maharashtra Labour Minister Akash Pandurang Fundkar called on industry stakeholders to transform safety from a slogan into a lived culture across worksites. Speaking at the CREDAI Pune Construction Safety Awards 2026, he emphasised deeper collaboration between government and developers, alongside a ₹600 crore skilling push to build a safer, future-ready construction workforce.

The Construction Safety Awards, attended by around 400 CREDAI members, celebrated and recognised outstanding contributions to construction safety, reinforcing its critical importance within the industry. A comprehensive Safety Manual was also unveiled in the presence of all dignitaries, marking a significant milestone in strengthening safety standards and practices across the sector.

Akash Pandurang Fundkar, Minister of Labour, Government of Maharashtra, said, “The Government of Maharashtra is fully committed to working closely with CREDAI Pune, and I firmly believe that this collaboration must go beyond formal platforms and evolve into continuous, meaningful engagement. I urge CREDAI and all industry stakeholders to meet us regularly, share practical insights, and help us strengthen both policy and on-ground implementation. Together, we must ensure that ‘Safety First’ does not remain just a slogan, but becomes a deeply ingrained culture across every construction site in the country.

At the same time, our focus on worker welfare must be both effective and far-reaching. While welfare cess is being collected through this sector, the real challenge lies in its efficient utilisation and ensuring that the benefits reach every genuine worker. This calls for stronger awareness, better registration under BOCW, and a more coordinated effort between the government and industry.

We are also moving ahead with a clear and ambitious skilling roadmap. The Government of Maharashtra is planning an investment of nearly ₹600 crore to establish world-class, modern skill development centres for construction workers in key locations such as Mumbai and Nagpur. These centres will focus on advanced technologies, modern equipment, and creating a future-ready workforce that can meet the evolving demands of the sector.

I invite CREDAI Pune to work in close partnership with us in this journey — from strengthening worker registrations and welfare outreach to actively contributing to skilling, safety training, and awareness initiatives. If we work together effectively, with commitment and accountability, I am confident that we can build a safer, more skilled, and truly progressive construction sector — one that not only drives growth but also ensures dignity, security, and opportunity for every worker who powers this industry.”

Arvind Jain, Vice President, CREDAI Pune, thanked all participants for making the event a success and highlighted that the Private Safety Award, started five years ago, has successfully built awareness and responsibility for worker and site safety. He noted that it has now evolved into a culture of positive competition, where projects actively strive for higher safety standards, making “Safety First” clearly visible across Pune’s construction industry. He emphasised that the initiative is not just about awards, but about shared learning, best practices, and continuous improvement across the sector.