40 crore workers to get smart cards:Dattatreya

Hyderabad: The Centre will soon issue smart cards to 40 crore workers in the unorganised sector in the country, Union Minister of State for Labour Bandaru Dattatreya said on Friday.

"We are concentrating on unorganised labourers consisting of 40 crore in the country. Shortly, we are going to launch a Social Security Card for all these unorganised workers with a U-WIN (Unorganised Worker Identification Number) card," he told reporters on the sidelines of an event held as part of Good Governance Day.

The smart cards would facilitate workers to receive benefit under various government welfare schemes. With this U-WIN smart card, we will provide Rashtriya Swasth Bima Yojana, Aam Aadmi Bima Yojana, and old age pension, Dattatreya said.

Besides, Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jan Suraksha Yojana, Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana and Atal Pension Yojana all these schemes will also be converged into this smart card. The card would have portability and function anywhere for migrant workers, he added. Another initiative launched recently was to take all the construction workers approximately 4.70 crore for providing them with ESIC and EPFO services.
The minister said in coordination with the Skill Development Ministry they would provide employment to one crore people in next two years.

Replying to a query, he further said, Domestic women workers and migrant workers will be given social security coverage and would be provided portability card.

"With regard to a legislation for domestic workers, we are now examining to have a better policy for domestic women workers. It is under consideration and we are discussing and after getting a policy we will discuss on related issues with other ministries and then go for a legislation," Dattatreya added.

Source: PTI