Workers of unorganised sector get benefits worth Rs 880 cr

The state Labour department has provided benefits worth Rs 880 crore under different welfare schemes to workers in unorganised sector in the past five years.

Moloy Ghatak, the state Labour minister, said in the Assembly on Tuesday, that the erstwhile Left Front government provided benefits worth Rs 9 crore to the workers of the unorganised sector in the last eleven years of their regime. It has been a 100 per cent increase in the past five years.

He said that workers of the unorganised sector including masons, bidi workers and daily wage labourers were immensely benefitted. At the same time, their family members have got the social security after getting the benefits.

In many cases, benefits in the unorganised sectors were doubled. Earlier, a construction worker used to get medical benefit of Rs 5,000 and now it has been increased to Rs 10,000. Their children also get assistance to carry out their studies. Earlier, it was Rs 2,000 and now, it has been increased to Rs 4,000 for a student of Class XII.

Moreover, for a child of worker pursuing courses in medical and engineering, the assistance has been doubled to Rs 30,000. Now, the bidi workers get help to build their houses and to ensure power supply in their houses. At the same time, they are helped for creating infrastructure necessary for their work. The assistance extends to Rs 10,000.

It may be recalled that Shramik Mukti Card, using which the workers could get all benefits, were introduced after the change of guard in the state and 90 lakh workers have already received the cards.

Mamata Banerjee government had also increased the minimum wages of daily wage labourers to Rs 6,600 per month. The increase was of around 34 per cent compared to that of previous wage and the minimum wages in the state has become Rs 7,300 per month by the end of the last calendar year.