KOCHI: The state government’s ambitious project to issue the ‘AAWAZ’ biometric insurance card to migrant labourers which will help compile a data base of the other state workers in Kerala is apparently moving at a slow pace. To fasttrack the programme, the Labour Department has sought more machines to get the biometric data of migrant workers from the agency providing technical support. In the Perumbavoor Jisha rape-murder case, the investigators had a hard time trying to track down the migrant labourer who committed the grisly crime. With the migrant labour population rising exponentially, there were calls for setting up a centralised database on migrant workers.
This will enable the government to provide welfare schemes, besides being of immense help when crimes involving the migrant workers occur. When the project kickstarted last month, the initial target was to register around 5 lakh migrant workers by December 31. Though applications were received from some 1.5 lakh migrant workers state-wide, only a third - around 40,000- of the applicants have been issued the card. Additional Labour Commissioner (Enforcement) A Alexander attributed the delay encountered to the the migrant workers’ penchant to shift locations quickly.
“One day if the application is received from Neyyantikara, next day the same person will be at Attingal. So we have decided to conduct real-time registration at the spot itself. Once we get more machines, around 5,000 migrant workers can be registered daily. We are now aiming to complete the target of having five lakh registrations before the financial year draws to a close,” he said Unlike the other biometric cards, the registration for AAWAZ insurance card is being done online. Sometimes, the server gets stuck delaying the registration. Similarly, when an application is received, the thumb impression, photos, iris scanning of an individual has to be recorded and uploaded to the server.
“The issue relating to the server has been resolved. Now the registration of one person can be completed within 15- 20 minutes,” Alexander said. The Ernakulam district which has highest migrant worker settlement in the state, the target was set to complete registration of around 1 lakh other-state workers before December 31. However, until December first week, as many as 33,415 applications were received while the card was issued to only 6,953 persons. Under the AAWAZ scheme, all migrant workers in the 18- 60 age bracket employed in Kerala, will be eligible for free medical treatment worth`5,000 and insurance cover of `2,00,000 in accident death cases.
They can avail themselves of medical treatment at all government hospitals and also privately-run hospitals empanelled with the scheme. The benefits are expected to be made available by January 1, 2018. “A study carried out a few years ago estimated around 25 lakh migrant workers present in Kerala. However, we expect their population to be around 10- 15 lakh in Kerala. We can cover all the migrant workers under AAWAZ insurance project in Kerala within five years,” an officer said.
CM INAUGURATES ERNAKULAM ICAI GOLDEN JUBILEE FETE
Kochi: Professionals can contribute immensely to society with their ideas and help when the country faces trouble, said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. He was speaking after inaugurating the Golden Jubilee celebration of the Institute of Chartered Accountant of India’s (ICAI) Ernakulam Branch here on Saturday. “The professionals, with their expertise and knowledge, can make vital contribution to resolve the issues pertaining to demonetisation and GST or minimise their impact,” he said. The CM lauded the efforts of ICAI officials in raising fund for Ockhiaffected families. A cheque of Rs 4 lakh was handed over to the Chief Minister by ICAI, Ernakulam, as a contribution to the CM’s Ockhi Relief fund.