Eastern Mirror Desk
Dimapur, Aug. 21: There are more than 6000 workers registered as beneficiaries with the welfare board and insurance cover under the Aam Admi Bima Yojana (AABY), Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (BMSBY), children education assistance, medical assistance, maternity assistance for wives of registered workers and women registered workers; grant for purchase of tools; and pension linked policy under the Nagaland Building and other Construction Workers Welfare Board (NBOCWCB).
This was informed by the department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) through a report published in Nagaland basic facts 2018.
The NBOCWCB provides welfare schemes to the construction workers of the state with welfare schemes ranging from health, maternity and insurance coverage for children’s education assistance for the beneficiaries and their family members.
The gender budgeting provides benefits for women constructional workers under NBOCWCB welfare scheme. Besides the general benefits provided such as tool grant, insurance under AABY provides medical allowance and maternity benefit to women beneficiaries amounting to INR 5000 per delivery (subject to a maximum of two times).
Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act 1986: After its amendment, the minimum age for employment of children in hazardous occupations and processes has been raised to 18 years and children below the age of 14 years are totally prohibited for any type of employment.
Labour Welfare Centres: The report maintained that the labour department has established three labour welfare centres: at the Nagaland Pulp Paper Company Ltd in Tuli; Mini Cement Plant in Wazeho; and one at 5th Mile in Dimapur, imparting eight months training courses in cutting and tailoring, knitting and embroidery, fully sponsored by the department.
A fourth labour welfare centre is recently being established at Doyang Hydro Electrical Project in Doyang. The main purpose of setting up the centre was to impart free training courses in tailoring, knitting and embroidery for a period of eight months (April to November) free of cost, it stated.
The Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) scheme: This applies to factories and other establishments wherein 10 or more persons are employed. Employees are entitled to draw wages up to INR 21000 a month under the social security cover of the ESI Act.
The rate of contribution by employer, it stated, was 4.75% of the wages payable to the employees and the employees’ contribution was at the rate of 1.75% of the wages payable to an employee. Employees earning less than INR 100 a day as daily wages are exempted from payment of their share of contribution.
Benefits under this scheme include sickness benefit; disablement benefit; dependants benefit; maternity benefit and medical benefit.
On registration, every Insured Person (IP) was provided with a Temporary Identification Certificate (TIC) valid for a period of three months and on completion of this period the Pechan card was handed over to the IP and family to avail medical facilities at the designated ESI dispensary and hospital.
Presently, the ESI scheme is implemented in Dimapur and the primary care is provided at the ESI scheme dispensary at 4th Mile in Dimapur and secondary care at the empanelled Dimapur Hospital and Research Centre (DHRC).
The Minimum Wages Act 1948: As per the act, the rates of minimum daily wages as fixed by the state advisory board with effect from June 15 2012 are: skilled labour (Grade 1) INR 145, skilled labour (Grade II) INR 135, semi-skilled labour INR 125, and unskilled labour at INR 115.
A recent notification by the Labour and Employment Skill Development and Entrepreneurship department on June 12 notified that as per the revised Minimum Rates of Wages Act 1948, the minimum rates payable to employers/workers employed in the state are INR 176 per day for unskilled; INR 216 per day for semi skilled; and INR 235 per day for skilled.
