NEW DELHI: Labour Minister Santosh Gangwar said Monday that Anganwadi and ASHA workers would soon be getting free life and accident insurance under the PMJJY and PMSBY schemes.
"We would provide free of cost insurance (under PMJJY and PMBSY) to these workers (Anganwadi and ASHA workers)," Gangwar said at a function to distribute Vishwakarma Rashtriya Puraskar (VRP) and National Safety Awards (NSA).
"The honorarium of 14 lakh Anganwadi workers have been increased from Rs 3,000 per month to Rs 4,500 per month. Likewise, honorarium of Anganwadi helpers has also been increased from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,250 per month. There are over 10 lakh ASHA workers."
The Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Yojana (PMJJY) and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) provide life and accident insurance cover of Rs 2 lakh each, respectively.
The annual insurance premium of the PMJJY is Rs 330 while it is Rs 12 for the PMSBY.
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced over 50 per cent hike in honorarium of Anganwadi and ASHA workers.
Stressing that the government is committed to labour reforms, Gangwar said, "We are expecting standing committee's report on Wage Code Bill soon. The Code on Social Security has also been circulated for discussions on our website. The two other codes are also at various discussion stage."
Under labour reforms, the government wants to concise 38 labour laws into four broad codes.
The minister said that workers of the country are architects of modern India.
He gave away 28 Vishwakarma Rashtriya Puraskar (VRP) shared by 139 individuals and 128 National Safety Awards (NSA) for the performance year 2016 at a special function at New Delhi today.
Addressing the function Gangwar said that there are around six crore organised sector workers who are getting benefits of EPFO and ESIC.
He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is specially concerned about around 40 crore unorganised sector workers.
The Union Government has taken many steps to enhance their working conditions, safety and social security in order to improve their standard of living.
On building and construction workers' cess, he said, an amount of Rs 40,000 crore has been collected as cess for welfare of construction workers and this fund is being utilised by states for welfare of nearly 5 crore construction workers.
He said, "Our government is concerned for well-being and safety of women workers too. Recently, Creche facility for the organisation with 50 or more workers has been made compulsory. Maternity leave has been extended up to 26 weeks from 12 weeks."
He further said, "Ministry is making efforts to increase employment opportunities through Pradhan Manrti Rojgar Protsahan Yojana. Twelve per cent of the Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) contribution of new employees is being given by government so that employees may not have to bear this cost and enhancement of employment opportunities. The government has spent Rs 1,744 crore for this EPF contribution for around 72 lakh employees of nearly 87,000 organisations."