CM announces several sops for labourers

Raipur, September 22, 2012

Chief Minister Raman Singh announced several sops including pension benefits, education and health facility, financial succor, insurance, compensation, etc for labourers during a review meeting of Labour Department held at Mantralaya on Saturday.

The CM informed that government would incur entire study expenditure of those children of building and other construction labourers (including MNREGA labourers) who will get selected in IITs, government engineering or medical colleges, government ITIs or nursing colleges.

Similarly, instead of providing bicycles, sewing machines, tools, etc to registered labourers under different schemes of Construction Workers’ Welfare Board (CWWB), the government will now provide them cash aid that will be directly deposited into their bank account. For this, joint bank account will be opened on the name of such labourers and their spouses. The new provision will be commenced in November during Rajyotsav 2012.  The CM informed that about three lakh labourers would get benefited by this provision.

With an objective to give pension benefits to the non-institutional labourers, the government will commence Swavlamban Yojna through Centre’s Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA).  

For convenience of labourers going to urban areas to work, the government will construct waiting rooms / waiting centres at the cost of Rs 20 lakh each under Mukhyamantri Shramik Pratikshalaya Yojna. These waiting centres will comprise of dal-bhat centres and toilets.

The CM has also hiked marriage financial aid for daughters of labourers from Rs 10000 to Rs 15000. This scheme is being operated under CWWB. Similarly, to safeguard the interests of contact labourers, the government is issuing them identity cards so that their payment could directly be deposited in their bank accounts. By far, bank accounts of 46000 contract labourers have been opened.

The Labour Department will soon start toll free helpline number for state labourers who are working in different parts of the country. The CM said that the helpline facility would enable the department to rehabilitate the bonded labourers properly.

The government will publicise the helpline number and labour welfare schemes in Jammu & Kashmir, Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh where majority of Chhattisgarh’s labourers are working.

The CM informed that the state labourers working in other parts of country would also get insurance benefit under CWWB scheme. In case of registered labourer’s sudden demise there will be a provision of Rs one lakh compensation, while if unregistered labourer dies suddenly the compensation will be Rs 50000.

The government further makes provision of free traveling up to 100 kilometers daily via rail for non-institutional construction labourers and would issue Mukhyamantri Shramik Izzat Card to them.

The meeting was attended by Labour Minister Chandrashekhar Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary (Labour) Vivek Dhand and senior officials of the department.