About 14 lakh workers from various sectors have been registered in Chhattisgarh so far to help them to take advantage of the various welfare schemes launched by the State government, officials stated.
The State Government has taken several steps to protect the interests of the unorganised labour. The State ranks top in implementing welfare schemes for the toiling masses in the entire country.
Chief Minister Raman Singh had allocated Rs 40 crore budget for the overall development of unorganised labour in the current financial year 2014-15.
He had announced opening of Employees State Insurance dispensaries at Siltara, Deepka, Sarangarh and Sejbahar.There are about 7.47 lakh registered workers of Chhattisgarh Building and Allied activities Welfare Board and 6.64 lakh workers of Chhattisgarh unorganised State Social Security Board.
It is pertinent to note 19 different schemes are being operated for 57 allied activities related to construction by the mandal.The Mandal was started in 2008.
The workers include stone cutters, stone breakers, masons, carpenters, electricians,plumbers, sand labour, brick kilns, fly-ash and tiles workers, pump operators and 57 other allied activities. Other labour belonging to 57 other vocations are brought under the Chhattisgarh unorganised State Social Security Board. The law was implemented in August 2010. Barbers, washermen, tailors, gardeners, shoe-makers, weavers, teacher assistants, footpath vendors, agarbathi workers, newspaper hawkers, shepherds, rickshaw-pullers, mithanins, cooks, cycle mechanics, transport workers, auto drivers, hamals, coolies, mazdoor, cinema workers ( lightmen, spot boys, cameramen, makeup-man) , goldsmiths and transgenders.
There are several schemes for women like 'Mukhyamantri Silaai Sahayta Yojana' and 'Mukhyamantri cycle Sahayta Yojana' . About 58,461 cycles were distributed free of cost to women in the age-group of 18 -35 years. About 1.8 lakh sewing machines were distributed free of cost to women in the age-group of 35-60 years.
Ten schemes are in operation for registered workers of the Workers State Social Security Board. About 83,000 workers got benefits from the schemes. The Chhattisgarh labour Welfare Board had started 13 labour Welfare Centres in the year 2013-14. There are 34 labour Welfare Centres in the state . About Rs 1.16 crore was spent on the 11 welfare schemes by the labour Welfare Board. About 284 houses were built for beedi workers in Bilaspur, 200 houses in Dongargarh, 254 houses in Rajnandgaon. There is an increase of 1.57 lakh workers insured under the Employees State Insurance Corporation. 1.93 lakh workers were insured in the year 2010 and at present the insured are about 3.50 lakh. The interests of workers migrating to other states are protected . The officers of Janpad Panchayat were empowered to register the workers migrating to other states.