January 15, 2002

'21'

GOVERNMENT RESTRUCTURING WELFARE SCHEMES FOR BEEDI WORKERS TO MAKE THEM MORE EFFECTIVE

    Government is working on restructuring welfare schemes for beedi workers to make them simpler and more meaningful. This was disclosed by the Labour Minister Shri Sharad Yadav while presiding over the meeting of the Central Advisory Committee of Beedi Workers Welfare Fund here today. Shri Yadav called for involving NGOs, Self-Help Groups and Trade Unions in outreaching the schemes to majority of beedi workers. He said Self-Help Groups would also be of great help in re-training of beedi workers and in creating alternative employment opportunities for their children. He said much remained to be done by the State Governments for effective implementation of the Beedi Workers’ Welfare Fund Act. Shri Yadav said that the increase in beedi welfare cess from one rupee to two rupees per thousand beedis from June, 2000 has enabled the Government to double all benefits to beedi workers. He said this has also enabled the Labour Ministry to meet long standing demand of taking up construction of three 30-bedded hospitals for beedi workers at Bihar Sharif (Bihar), Sagar (Madhya Pradesh) and Mukkadal (Tamil Nadu). Shri Yadav said that 210 dispensaries have been set up in different parts of the country for beedi workers.

    The Labour Secretary, Shri Vinod Vaish said that greater involvement of concerned state governments would have to be ensured in welfare activities of beedi workers. Referring to social security coverage, Shri Vaish said that more than 19 lakh workers have been enrolled as subscribers of Employees’ Provident Fund while 0.6 per cent beedi workers have been covered under the Employees’ State Insurance Scheme. He said efforts are on to extend the coverage of both schemes.

    The meeting was told that more than 38 lakh beedi workers have been issued identity cards so far to facilitate them to avail various welfare schemes under the Welfare Act. 53 crore rupees were collected by way of cess under the Act during the last financial year of which 52 crore rupees were spent on providing health, housing, educational, social security, recreational and family welfare facilities to beedi workers besides meeting administrative costs.

    The meeting was attended by the representatives of employers in beedi industry, Central Trade Unions, beedi workers organizations besides senior officials of the Labour Ministry. The members of the Advisory Committee suggested among other things setting up a minimum national wage, constitution of a survey committee to identify actual number of beedi workers, review of welfare schemes to increase their reach, medical facilities to check occupational health hazards and collection of welfare cess more effectively to check evasion.

    There are about 4.4 million beedi workers of whom 63 per cent are women. The majority of beedi workers are landless poor and mostly belong to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and minorities.