Week-long Enrolment Drive for Unorganized Workers gets Underway

A Correspondent

Hailakandi: A week-long enrolment drive of Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Mann-Dhan Yojana (PMSYMDY) and National Pension Scheme (NPS) for the unorganized workers got underway here on Saturday.

Launching the enrolment drive at the Deputy Commissioner’s conference hall, District Development Commissioner, Vikram Dev Sharma said the scheme meant for the unorganized workers is meant to provide social security to them. The DDC called upon the Labour and other line departments to work in tandem to make the week-long enrolment drive a success. Sharma asked the Common Service Centres (CSCs) to gear up fully for the enrolment drive as registration is done through them.

Explaining the salient features of the scheme, Sharma said that it is open for the unorganized workers such as street vendors, rickshaw pullers, brick kiln workers, Anganwadi workers, petty traders, job cardholders and construction workers. For enrolment, he or she must possess an aadhaar card or a savings bank account or Jan Dhan account with IFSC code. The voluntary and contributory pension scheme is open for the unorganized workers in the age group of 18-40 years with less than Rs.15,000 income per month, he added.

Sharma said that the scheme was flexible and anyone could opt out before ten years and his or her share of contribution with accumulated interest thereon would be returned. The Central Government will pay matching contributions with an assured sum of Rs 3,000 per month as pension to the beneficiary after he or she has attained the age of 60 years. Labour Officer, KM Deb said camps would be conducted in six different places during the week-long enrolment drive across the district beginning Saturday. The camps will be held at Katlicherra and Lala development blocks on December 2, Algapur and Hailakandi development blocks on December 3, South Hailakandi development block on December 4 and at Lala and Hailakandi on December 5 and 6 respectively. Deb sought the cooperation of all the line departments and the CSCs in gearing up the enrolment drive.

District Coordinator, CSC, said 130 CSCs would remain open from 9 am to 9 pm to collect the first installment as cash from those willing to enroll under the scheme. The inaugural function was attended, among others, by labor inspectors, block development officers, Anganwadi workers, ASHA workers, ANMs and representatives from Barak Valley Agragami Nirmaan Sramik Union, Lala and Sodou Assam Nirmaan Sramik Union, Hailakandi. At the end of the inauguration program, enrolment was carried out at the conference hall.

Meanwhile, a 21-member District Level Committee for PMSYMDY and NPS has been constituted under the Unorganised Workers’ Social Security Act, 2008 with Deputy Commissioner as chairman and Labour Officer as member-secretary. A notification to this effect was issued on Thursday.

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