40 Crore Informal Sector Workers to get Social Security Including Insurance, PF

Labour minister Bandaru Dattatreya on Monday said that 40 crore workers from unorganised sector will be covered under social security schemes such as Employees State Insurance and Employees Provident Fund. The government is committed to ensure wage, jobs and social security for all workers including unorganised sector, Dattatreya said addressing a function on the 3 years achievements of the his ministry here as per a Labour Ministry statement.

He said that the ministry is implementing reforms and new ways and means for employment generation. India is the only country which has launched Shram Suvidha Portal for effective compliance and ease of doing business. The ministry is implementing the National Career Service (NCS) project as a vibrant platform for transforming and strengthening the public employment services in the country. The minister said that the ministry is working on the proposed codification of existing Labour Laws into 4 Labour Codes-Wages, Industrial Relations, Social Security and Welfare and Occupational Safety & Working Conditions.

He said that the Group of Ministers have approved the Labour Code on Wages and it will be sent to cabinet for approval. The minister informed that ESIC is now covering complete districts instead of targeted industrial clusters. Coverage expanded to all 393 districts where these clusters are located. As many as 301 districts have been fully covered.

In the second phase, he said that the target is to cover all the remaining districts of the country. “One IP-Two Dispensaries” scheme has been launched for the benefit of migrant workers. Now insured persons can choose two dispensaries, one for self and another for family through an employer,” he added. He said that over 3.87 crore candidates, 14.8 lakh establishments are registered on the National Career Service (NCS) Portal and it has mobilised over 6 lakh vacancies. Around 540 job fairs were organised in 2016-17. The NCS project also involves setting up of 100 Model Career Centre to deliver quality employment services and these centres are being set up in collaboration with States and Institutions.

The NCS has partnered with Department of Posts and common services centre to extend registration of job seekers through the Post Offices. On this occasion, Dattatreya inaugurated Centre of Excellence (Ophthalmology) of ESI PGIMSR & Model Hospital and Physiotherapy & X-ray units of ESIC on PPP model for beneficiaries for Delhi region.He also inaugurated EPFO Regional Office, Delhi (West) and Regional Office, Delhi (Central).