Welfare board for Odisha workers in unorganized sector soon

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, May 30:

The Odisha government will soon constitute a special welfare board to provide social security to all workers engaged in the unorganized sector, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said here today.

File Pic
File Pic

It will enable workers of other unorganized sectors get facilities and amenities available to construction workers in the state.

Presiding over the review meeting of the Labour & Employees’ State Insurance department at the state secretariat here today, the Chief Minister announced that workers of other unorganized sectors will get facilities and amenities available to construction workers in the state.

The Chief Minister directed officials to register all small shopkeepers and street vendors in the state in a phased manner within the next five years, cover them under health insurance and provide them with loans at concessional rates of interest.

While expressing satisfaction over the functioning of the Odisha Building & Other Construction Workers Welfare Board and the facilities and amenities it provided to beneficiaries, Patnaik advised officials to work in all sincerity to ensure that workers get the benefits meant for them.

The Chief Minister also directed officials to identify construction workers for the Nirman Shramika Pucca Ghar Yojana and expedite other related works on this count.

Patnaik ordered establishment of a special helpline for early solution of various problems faced by workers at their work places.

Describing practice of child labour as a social evil, the Chief minister stressed on its complete eradication in the state while directing the Labour department to draw up a state level action plan for the purpose. He advised senior officials to make regular visits to hostels for the children of migrant labourers.

Patnaik further directed officials to immediately formulate rules for Odisha Labour Welfare Fund 2014 and take expeditious steps for constitution of Odisha Labour Welfare Board.

The Chief Minister asked the Labour department to remain in regular touch with Centre to expedite work on the construction of ESIC Medical College at Jagannathprasad in Bhubaneswar since the state government has provided land for it and a boundary has been already constructed on it and foundation stone of the project has been laid as well.

It was revealed at the meeting that while 7, 29,314 workers have been registered till date under the welfare scheme started for building and other construction workers in the state, it has been targeted to include 21 lakh workers under the welfare scheme within the next five years.

It was informed at the meeting that MoUs are being signed with Odia associations in different states to ensure that workers moving out to outside states in search of work do not face difficulties there.

The meeting emphasized on providing various services offered by the Factories and Boilers Directorate online and include it under the Odisha Public Service Rights Act and provide services in time-bound manner.

The meeting decided to bring in necessary amendments to different labour laws to make them more progressive and public friendly and take forward labour reforms.

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