Wards of Registered labourers to get scholarship from first grade : Balbir Singh Sidhu

Special scheme to be framed soon to provide financial assistance to unregistered industrial labour in case of death

5 Dariya News

Chandigarh 27-Feb-2019

Approving the long pending demand of the registered labourers the Punjab Government has given go ahead to provide scholarship to the students of registered industrial workers from the first grade instead of sixth grade. This decision was taken in a meeting chaired by Mr. Balbir Singh Sidhu, Labour Minister-cum-Chairman, Punjab Labour Welfare Board.Disclosing this Mr. Balbir Singh Sidhu said Punjab Labour Welfare Board is presently providing the scholarship of Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 70,000 for students of industrial workers from 6th class uptill degree course, Rs. 31,000 at the time of the marriage of the daughter of the labourer, under Shagun scheme. He said that the labour department is now registering the workers online so that every worker can get benefit of the welfare schemes with in time.It was also suggested in meeting by the Labour Minister-cum-chairman that if unregistered industrial worker dies in an accident, the labour department should immediately have a provision to release some financial aid, on which all the members unanimously agreed to initiate new scheme for unregistered worker. He also ordered the Principal Secretary Labour to constitute the committee in this regard. The Minister added that special awareness campaign is being conducted to provide maximum benefit of the welfare schemes to the industrial workers.While giving information about income of the department, Mr. R. Venkat Ratnam, Principal Secretary, labour said that the Board has earned Rs. 19.75 crores from 01 April, 2018 to 31 December, 2018. He said that around Rs. 10 crores has been allocated to the industrial workers under various schemes.Mr. R. Venkat Ratnam further said that labour department is providing Rs. 1 lac for the serious diseases, Rs. 20,000 for general surgery, Rs. 20,000 for maternity benefit to industrial women workers, Rs. 20,000 for of mentally retarded children of industrial workers, loan for marriage without Interest and industrial workers are also given the loan of Rs.50,000 for purchase of motorcycle / scooty without interest. He said that benefit of these all schemes only is given to the registered workers at the labour department.In this meeting, Mr. Vimal Kumar Setia, Commissioner Labour Department, Jagir Singh, Assistant Welfare Commissioner, Gurpreet Singh, Deputy Controller (Finance and Accounts), senior officer of Finance Department, Industry and Commerce and social security, women and child development departments were also present. Members of the Punjab Labour Welfare Board and other senior officials were also present in the meeting.