Labour dept takes up massive campaign to bring more unorganised sector workers under SSY

Kolkata: The state Labour department is undertaking a massive awareness campaign to bring more workers from the unorganised sector under the ambit of Samajik Suraksha Yojana (Social Security Scheme).

"We will be organising Sramik Mela (Labour Fair) at all the districts in the state throughout this month, where there will be camps for enrollment. We will be also going door-to-door to ensure that more beneficiaries come under the aegis of the Samajik Suraksha Yojana (SSY)," said state Labour minister Moloy Ghatak at the inaugural programme of the two-day Sramik Mela that kicked off at Ramlila Park in Moulali on Tuesday.

According to Ghatak, more than 1 crore people in the state have been brought under the SSY scheme. "The previous Left Front government had allocated a meagre Rs 9 crore for the scheme from 2000 to 2011. However, after our government came to office under the leadership of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, we have doled out Rs 113 crore under this scheme," the minister said.

"I urge the labourers enrolled under SSY to pass on the message to their friends and relatives in their respective areas," Ghatak added.

It may be mentioned that the Mamata Banerjee government had merged five schemes into one in April 2017 and named it as SSY. The convergence of the schemes has benefitted people from different unorganised sectors and self-employed youths.

Under the scheme, unorganised workers are getting financial assistance of Rs 20,000 per annum for any ailment and the amount extends up to Rs 60,000 per annum in case of hospitalisation. They are also entitled to get provident fund after a worker attains the age of 60.

The inaugural progamme was attended by state Power minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay, state Consumer Affairs minister Sadhan Pande, minister of state for Labour Nirmal Majhi and minister of state for Fire (independent charge) Sujit Basu among others.