Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi today inaugurated multi-purpose ‘Labour Waiting Centers’ at Dumduma and Kalpana Chhak in Bhubaneswar, providing temporary shelter facilities, drinking water, toilets, and parks for workers. The centers aim to increase the dignity of workers and will be set up in other urban areas like Cuttack, Rourkela, Sambalpur, Keonjhar, and Berhampur.
During the event, the Chief Minister promoted workers of various trade unions and distributed assistance under the Construction Workers Welfare Scheme, including education, marriage, maternity, death, and funeral assistance. He said that the State Government’s Labour and Employees State Insurance Department has been working diligently towards the legal rights and social security of workers employed in various sectors.
Majhi highlighted that the death assistance provided under the Construction Workers Welfare Board has been increased from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 3 lakh in case of normal death and from Rs 4 lakh to Rs 6 lakh in case of accidental death. He also informed that around 47 lakh construction workers have been registered under the scheme, and more than Rs 3,951 crore has been provided for various assistance.
The Chief Minister launched the ‘Odisha Sramik Sathi’ mobile app to bring various services of the Construction Workers Welfare Board to the fingertips of workers. The app will enable workers to access services like online registration, renewal, and application for assistance.
Additionally, the Chief Minister announced that the minimum wage has been revised for unskilled, semi-skilled, skilled, and highly skilled workers, increasing the minimum wage by an average of Rs 100 per day. A task force has been formed to identify and mainstream migrant workers, and a special State Action Plan has been prepared for Odia migrant workers.
The state government is taking steps to promote the establishment of new industries and implement the business simplification scheme of the Central Government in the interest of workers. Online services like registration and licensing under various labour laws are being provided through the ‘Parisram Portal’ of the Labour Department.
The Chief Minister emphasized that the government is committed to alleviating the suffering of poor parents and will launch the ‘Mukhyamantri Kanya Vivah Yojana’ to provide support for the marriage of girls. He assured that the government will take appropriate steps to resolve the problems of working brothers and sisters.
Minister of Labour and Employees’ State Insurance, Ganesh Ram Singh Khuntia, said that workers are an important part of the country’s development and their hard work is the foundation of the state’s progress.
