labour Minister Chandrashekhar Sahu on Friday said that Chhattisgarh is the frontline State in offering a 30-day maternity leave to women working on projects under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).
He was addressing participants of the 45th session of the Indian labour Convention at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi.
The Minister said that during the maternity leave period, women are offered full wages with the amount borne by the Chhattisgarh Government.
Demanding a special package for grant of maternity leave for women working on projects under MGNREGS from the Central Government, Sahu urged to implement the model in other States.
The Convention today was attended by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Union labour Minister Mallikarjun Kharge besides labour ministers from other States.
Drawing attention of the Centre towards the opening of livelihood College in the Maoist insurgency hit Dantewada district with the aim of enhancing skills of the local populace, Sahu demanded a special central package for the initiative.
The Minister also demanded fixing of minimum wages for child labourers under the Child labour Project.
Sahu also urged the Centre to provide the benefits of healthcare and pension to the workers of Anganwadis, Mid-day meal programme, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan besides workers employed for other projects.
He said that a large number of workers have been employed under ‘Asha Kamgaar’, ‘Anganwadi Kaamgaar’ and Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan projects for providing Mid-day meal.
‘These workers are playing the role of a link in bringing the various Government schemes to the general public’, Sahu said.
The Minister said that the honorarium given to the employees in the aforesaid schemes is certainly less than what had been prescribed under the Minimum Wages Act 1948. ‘These employees also do not get any special social security benefits.’
Sahu also demanded from the Centre to expand the scope of providing benefits of National Health Insurance with the inclusion of Self-Reliance Scheme.