CHENNAI: A survey of around 400 unorganised workers in the city has shown that 99% of workers in homeless situations were not enrolled with the Tamil Nadu Unorganised Workers’ Welfare Board which is essential for availing financial aid such as for marriages of children, education and pension benefits, among others.
The survey conducted by the Information & Resource Centre for the Deprived Urban Communities (IRCDUC) surveyed 372 respondents in homeless situations- 114 of them were street vendors, 98 were engaged in domestic work, 68 were auto drivers and others were manual labourers, construction workers, cooks etc. Around 96% of the respondents belonged to Scheduled Castes and most were located in the Royapuram zone and neighbouring areas.
By enrolling with the board, unorganised workers are eligible for education assistance for their children- up to Rs 8,000 (for professional PG courses with hostel facilities) with Rs 1,000-Rs 1,500 for students studying in classes 10, 11 and 12. They are also eligible for marriage assistance (up to Rs 5,000 for women) and maternity assistance of Rs 6,000.
Even with multiple benefits for women, most of the respondents, of whom 65% were women, said that they were not registered with the board and were unaware of the benefits they were entitled to. Through the board, workers were also eligible for aid in case of personal accidents which may help many manual labourers and auto drivers who are prone to these risks. An assistance of `20,000 in case of natural deaths and `5,000 for funeral expenses are also offered.
“Even during the pandemic, there were additional benefits for registered members. We surveyed workers who were homeless since they were more vulnerable and for whom these benefits would make a world of difference,” said Vanessa Peter, founder of IRCDUC.
While lack of awareness was the primary cause for concern, the process of enrolment was a challenge on its own, she added. Documents including a bonafide certificate and bank passbooks are required for registration apart from identity proof and other documents, which many families in homeless conditions do not possess.
As a first step, the report recommended holding enrolment camps in places where urban homeless families reside in large numbers after coordination meetings with NGOs and other institutions, along with regular awareness drives for reiterating the importance of enrolling with the board.