Bhubaneswar: Labour minister Ganesh Ram Singkhuntiaon Saturday directed the immediate establishment of a help desk at Nayapalli Shramik Haat here after discovering that 90 per cent of labourers lacked proper registration cards.During his surprise visit, the minister announced on-site that officials would be deployed to facilitate labour card enrolment and process housing applications under the rural housing scheme in the workers’ native districts. The card is required to avail govt benefits meant for labourers.The main aim of the minister’s visit was to assess whether the various welfare schemes being implemented by the labour department were reaching the workers and to gauge their awareness. He engaged in detailed discussions with the workers at the ‘haat’ to understand their various issues. When he learnt that many workers did not have labour cards, the minister explained that without registration as workers, they would miss out on financial assistance provided under the construction workers’ welfare scheme, such as educational aid, marriage assistance, maternity assistance, death assistance, and funeral assistance.“I found that 90 per cent of the people I met at the spot did not have registrations to get a labour card. To ensure their registration is done, I have asked labour department officials to set up a help desk at the Shramik Haat to get the benefit of the labour card,” said the minister. He said they would prepare a list of labourers who do not have pucca houses. “We will send the list to their respective district administrations to provide houses under the rural housing scheme.We will also help the labourers get all facilities available under the Building and Other Construction Workers Act,” he added.He directed all labour officers to promptly address the workers’ applications and resolve their issues swiftly. “We will have rest sheds along with drinking water facilities for labourers at the shramik haat,” he added. He also warned contractors and employers who provide less wage against the Odisha govt’s minimum wage. Senior officials of the labour department were present at the spot with the minister.Later, the minister visited the Dumduma multi-purpose labour shelter, received various structural proposals from the workers, and instructed officers to take immediate action.