In an incident of building collapse in which five workers were buried alive, police arrested the contractor as well as the mason of the building and charged them under section 304 of Indian Penal Code for causing death. Construction safety draws little attention unless otherwise reputed agencies are involved and these agencies takeup projects only when they are of high value.
Being daily wagers, labourers are unable to demand safety at work and work under dangerous conditions to fill their stomachs. Though, Building and Other Construction Workers Act 1996 and Rules are in existence for more than a decade, its implementation is still questionable. Safety officers working for construction agencies are also toothless and they work or forced to work to the wishes of their employer and little attention is paid to the safety of the workers. Safety in such works can be improved only when the government inspectors conduct more inspections and penalize violators instead of charging the violators after the occurrence of the incidents.
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-04-24/hyderabad/31391977_1_building-collapse-town-planning-school-building