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The Ministry of Labour & Employment held a review meeting on the achievements under the Labour Welfare Scheme (LWS) for Beedi, Cine, and Non-Coal Mine Workers in Delhi on Saturday.
The ministry stated that the scheme was implemented through 18 Labour Welfare Organisation (LWO) regions, headed by Welfare Commissioners under the administrative control of the Directorate General of Labour Welfare. The meeting, chaired by Sumita Dawra, Secretary, Ministry of Labour & Employment, reviewed the significant achievements of the Labour Welfare Scheme, focusing on the various benefits provided to Beedi, Cine, and Non-Coal Mine Workers and their families. The ministry stated that healthcare facilities were provided through 10 hospitals and 279 dispensaries operational under 18 LWO regions across the country, covering critical diseases with reimbursements and subsistence allowances. In FY 2023-24, 1,802,000 Beedi, Cine, and Non-Coal mine workers and their dependents benefited, with an expenditure of Rs 8.50 crore. Under the scheme, financial assistance was also provided for the education of workers' wards, covering various levels from primary to professional courses, implemented through the online portal--the National Scholarship Portal--and disbursed via the DBT-APB (Direct Benefit Transfer-Aadhaar Payment Bridge) method of payment. The ministry highlighted that in FY 2023-24, a total of 96,051 wards of Beedi, Cine, and Non-Coal mine workers benefited, with a total expenditure of Rs 30.68 crore. During the meeting, the Secretary commended the achievements under the Labour Welfare Scheme and emphasized the need for continuous efforts to enhance the welfare of Beedi, Cine, and Non-Coal mine workers. She urged officials to work collaboratively to ensure effective implementation and to explore new initiatives for expanding social security and improving the ease of living and business. She also highlighted the importance of close coordination with state governments and related officials to create a robust and efficient social security system for these workers. In this regard, the Centre has already directed all states and UTs to extend social security coverage under various schemes for insurance, health benefits, and disability coverage like PMJJBY (Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana), PMSBY, and AB-PMJAY. The ministry added that the Centre is working on building a comprehensive database to assess coverage under both central and state schemes for Beedi, Non-Coal Mine, and Cine workers in the informal sector. The objective is to onboard all workers on the E-Shram portal, facilitating their access to various social security schemes and monitoring coverage through the mechanism of UAN (Universal Account Number) on E-Shram. (ANI)
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