Tamil Nadu has taken the lead in implementing welfare schemes for labourers in unorganised sector, said T. M. Anbarasan, Minister for Labour Welfare and Employment, here on Tuesday.
He distributed benefits worth Rs. 43.33 lakh to 1,817 labourers belonging to welfare boards from Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam districts. He also gave away equipment to barbers, washermen and goldsmiths.
The Minister said there were 33 welfare boards for labourers belonging to unorganised sector of which 14 are attached to labour department. Nearly 46 lakh workers have registered with these boards. In the last four and a half years, the government has allotted Rs. 1,000 crore for the welfare of these labourers. In the last one year, benefits worth Rs. 174 crore have been disbursed.
The Minister said labourers in unorganised sector account for 92 per cent in Tamil Nadu while the rest are in organised sector. Data entry has been made in computers for the 46 lakh members of these boards.
There are no registration and renewal fees for them. They would be registered within thirty days of their submission of applications and within sixty days, they would be eligible for monetary benefits. Most of the labourers in the unorganised sector are beneficiaries under the Kalaignar's insurance scheme for life saving treatment, the Minister said.
U. Mathivanan, Dairy Development Minister, said services of barbers, washermen and tailors are necessary for a civilised life. They have been uplifted and the welfare boards were instrumental in their development.
M. Chandraseakaran, Collector, P. Karupusamy, Additional Labour Commissioner, Poondi Kalaivanan, Member of Cotton Advisory Board and R. Shankar, Vice Chairman, Tiruvarur Municipality, spoke.
