orth, south, east or west, it's the sight of cranes and bulldozers razing lands, masons and labourers girding up steel and concrete structures that dominates the horizon. With a booming real estate market, construction is one of the biggest economic activities in India. Yet, there is no organised work force for this sector, with most construction workers hired on daily wages. In this situation, workers often have no safety net in case of accidents.

Cement company Lafarge India has stepped into the breach in Kolkata, offering a unique way of promoting safety in construction sites, especially in the individual home builder segment. The company is offering an insurance policy to workers besides instructing them on safe working habits. Ramakrishna Maganti, senior vice president, marketing, Lafarge India, says, "Being a cement company, Lafarge has a stake here and would like to promote good construction practices. Masons are important for any construction activity, and are prone to accidents. Lafarge expects that this insurance policy will provide the masons and their families the much needed financial cover against unforeseen incidents." The total size of the cement industry in India is 140 million tonnes per annum. Lafarge is present in the east with sales of five million tonnes per annum.... more