Shri Bandaru Dattatreya ,the Minister of State for Labour & Employment (Independent Charge) gave away Vishwakarma Rashtriya Puraskar(VRP) and National Safety Awards(NSA) for the Performance Year 2014, here today. Speaking on the occasion Shri Dattatreya said that a large number of senior executives from different parts of the country representing various establishments are present here not only to receive National Safety Awards but also to encourage their employees, who are being conferred awards under the Vishwakarma Rashtriya Puraskar Scheme. All present should learn from efforts and achievements of others to implement best practice in their organization.Congratulating all the Winners and Runners-up of VRP and NSA, the Minister said they will become leading lights in promotion of safety in their respective organsations for years to come. He impressed upon them that they should work with the same vigour, dedication, commitment and devotion in the years to come and contribute in an exemplary manner for the overall industrial and economic development of the country and enable the nation to clinch a significant space amongst the industrialized nations of the world.
VRP is awarded in recognition of outstanding suggestions given by a worker or group of workers and implemented by the management in the form of cash prize and a certificate of merit in three categories: Class ‘A’ – Five (5) of Rs. 75,000/- each, Class ‘B’ – Eight (8) of Rs. 50,000/- each and Class ‘C’ - Fifteen (15) of Rs. 25,000/- each. These 28 awards are being shared by 117 individuals out of a total of 199 applications received from different industries for the Performance Year 2014.The NSA is given in recognition of outstanding safety performance of industrial establishments, construction sites, ports and installations under AERB to stimulate and maintain the interests of both the management and the workers in accident prevention programmes. The awards are given under twelve schemes, out of which ten are meant for Factories /Construction sites /Installations under AERB and two are for Ports. Under each award, a Shield and a Certificate of Merit is given to each of the Award Winners and Runners-up. The establishments are classified in different schemes on the basis of working of highest man-hours.
The criteria for presentation of these Awards is - Lowest Average Frequency Rate over a period of three consecutive years ending in the contest year as compared to the National Average for that group of industries. The other one is -Accident Free year based on man-hours worked during the contest year.For the Performance year 2014, the total number of NSA Award Winners and Runners-up in all the ten schemes adds up to 93(59winners & 34 runners-up).These were selected out of 191applications received under various schemes.The Ministry of Labour & Employment, Government of India, has been operating the “Vishwakarma Rashtriya Puraskar (VRP)” (Previously known as Shram Vir National Awards) and “National Safety Awards (NSA)” since 1965. These Award schemes are operated by its technical wing namely the Directorate General Factory Advice Service and Labour Institutes (DGFASLI), Mumbai – an attached office of the Ministry of Labour and Employment. DGFASLI renders technical advice /service to workers, their representatives and managements in factories and docks to humanize industrial activities by promoting safety & health at work.