Bina Mulya Samajik Suraksha Yojana: Rs 335 cr disbursed in 2 yrs
KOLKATA: In the last two years the Mamata Banerjee government has disbursed a record Rs 335 crore under the comprehensive social security scheme 'Bina Mulya Samajik Suraksha Yojana' (Free Social Security Scheme) for unorganised workers. Through the initiative benefits have been provided to over 1.72 lakh beneficiaries and has come as a boon for the workers of this sector.
The scheme has been of immense help to the unorganised labourers considering the fact that during these two years there were a lot of curbs and restrictions owing to the Covid pandemic.
As per records of the state Labour department in the financial year 2021-22, at least 79471 workers have benefited with the state Labour department spending Rs 246 crore. The previous fiscal 2020-21 had an expenditure of nearly Rs 89 crore with the number of beneficiaries being 92787.
It may be noted here that though the beneficiaries have been less in 2021-22 but the expenditure has been much more as the Labour department had extended a large number of death benefits in the year 2021 when Covid had its most fatal effect throughout the country.
Broadly three types of benefits are extended by the state Labour department under 'Bina Mulya Samajik Suraksha Yojana' ((BM-SSY) — death benefits, provided fund benefits and disability benefits. The death benefit and the disability benefit varies in the range of Rs 50,000 to Rs 2 lakh.
The unorganised sector workers, comprising approximately 93 per cent of the working population of the state, have traditionally been one of the most vulnerable sections of the society. To alleviate their plight, the state government has from time to time launched a number of social security schemes like State Assisted Scheme of Provident Fund, Welfare Schemes for Building and Other Construction Workers and Social Security Schemes for Transport workers. However, there has been non uniformity in the benefits across the schemes, resulting in occupation-based disparities across workmen.
In order to mitigate such anomalies, a project was undertaken with the objective of integrating the different schemes and to offer uniform benefits to all unorganised workmen — Chief Minister Mamata Banerjeein in 2017 launched Samajik Suraksha Yojana, the first of its kind in the country, to cover every eligible unorganised worker as per the approved list of unorganised industries (46) and self-employed occupations (15) notified by state the Labour department.
From April 1 , 2020 in a move to assist the enrolled beneficiaries further the state government decided to waive off the beneficiary contribution of Rs 25 per month towards subscription payment for provident funds and decided to contribute the amount itself on behalf of the beneficiaries. The scheme was renamed as Bina Mulya Samajik Suraksha Yojana where any enrolled beneficiary can avail all the available benefits without expending a single rupee.
