The State Government is mulling to create Social Protection Floors (SPFs) to provide security to distressed people in all aspects, including income base and healthcare facilities, till their deaths. SPFs are nationally-defined sets of basic social security guarantees aimed at preventing or alleviating poverty, vulnerability and social exclusion.
It was revealed at a meeting held under chairmanship of Development Commissioner UN Behera here on Tuesday. A detailed discussion was held with Secretaries of various departments engaged in providing livelihood support, health and other social protections to the people. The International labor organization (IlO) Decent Work Team for South Asia had, after conducting a social security study in Odisha, presented its report to the State Government. The report offered supports to the Government in improving services to be rendered for the vulnerable groups.
The report discussed in detail at the meeting chalks out roadmap for Social Protection Floors in the State, said labor and ESI Secretary Gudey Srinivas. The report revealed that performance of major social protection programmes carried out in the State was uneven. However, it pointed out that Odisha’s performance in a number of social security progmmes, including ICDS and PDS, is above the national average.
It said the State’s performance in implementation of the MGNREGA continues to remain close to the national average and much below achievement levels of States, including neighboring Chhattisgarh. It remarked that pension schemes for poor, old, widows, differently able persons seem to flounder because of weak community institutional capacity. Efforts need be made to dovetail administrative implementation capacity with local decision-making and monitoring to produce optimum results, said experts. The Government is now planning consult stakeholders in a broad specter to prepare the framework for SPFs, said an official.