'Number of Social Security Scheme beneficiaries have risen considerably'

Kolkata: The enrollment under the Social Security Scheme (SSS) has gone up immensely in the past six years of the Mamata Banerjee government in Bengal.

"In 2011, before our government came to power, around 13 lakh labourers were enrolled in the SS Scheme. Presently, the figure is nine crore," state Labour minister Moloy Ghatak said on Saturday. The minister was present at the inaugural ceremony of Sramik Mela of South Kolkata district at Hazra Park. State Education minister Partha Chatterjee inaugurated the three-day fair in presence of state Power minister Sovandeb Chattopadhyay and MP Subrata Bakshi.

"The erstwhile Left Front government has been negligent about the welfare of the labourers. Their allocation under the SSS that began in 2000 was only Rs 92 crore in 2011. In six years, we have raised it to Rs 1,008 crore," Ghatak said.

He maintained that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was instrumental in bringing labourers of as many as 70 sectors under one umbrella in the SS Scheme so that they get a uniform allocation from the state. Earlier, there was a difference in the amount among the beneficiaries.

It may be mentioned that the Sramik Mela is being held at 66 places in the state where the Labour department has put up stalls to highlight the activities of the department and the various benefits that the government offers for the labourers.

It may be mentioned that the beedi workers in the state have also been included under the SS Scheme.