Bhubaneswar: In a significant move to enhance the well-being of Odisha’s labour force, the Odisha Labour Welfare Board, during its third meeting held at Kharavela Bhawan, unveiled a set of new welfare initiatives, including scholarship schemes, financial assistance, and expanded digital services.
Labour and Employees’ State Insurance Minister and Board Chairman Ganesh Ram SinghKhuntia, chaired the meeting. Emphasizing the indispensable role of workers in nation-building, he said, “Workers are the foundation of our country—the real nation builders. A country cannot progress by neglecting its labour force.”
He added that Odisha, being a labour-rich state, owes much of its economic growth to its workforce, and reiterated the state government’s commitment to delivering social security, legal protection, and development opportunities for all workers.
Among the key proposals discussed was a one-time scholarship of Rs 1 lakh for children of contributing workers pursuing technical or professional courses at prestigious government institutions such as IITs, IIMs, NITs, AIIMS, IISc, and similar institutes.
Additional support proposals included:
- Rs 50,000 scholarship for students enrolled in other reputed national-level institutions through entrance examinations.
- Rs 10,000 or more in assistance to differently-abled children of contributing workers pursuing undergraduate or higher studies.
- Rs 10,000 or more for students securing 90% or above in Class 10 or 12 board examinations.
- Rs 50,000 ex-gratia for natural death and Rs 1 lakh for accidental death of contributing workers.
These proposals will be financed through the Odisha Labour Welfare Fund (OLWF), which currently holds approximately Rs 34.48 crore. The fund is sustained by employee contributions of Rs 20 and employer contributions of Rs 40 per worker, as per the Odisha Labour Welfare Fund Rules, 2015.
The meeting also reviewed progress on the ‘Pareshram Portal’ (pareshram-labour.odisha.gov.in), developed by the Directorate of Labour and the Directorate of Factories and Boilers. The portal offers automated services for registration (Form-A), change notifications (Form-B), closure notifications (Form-C), and annual contributions (Form-F), easing administrative procedures for both employers and workers.
Principal Secretary of the Labour and ESI Department and Vice-Chairperson of the Board, Chitra Arumugam, highlighted the government’s efforts over the past year to restructure and strengthen the Board for more effective service delivery. She urged employers, trade unions, and industry representatives to ensure timely contributions and raise awareness among workers about available schemes.
Labour Commissioner Indramani Tripathi delivered the welcome address, outlining the Board’s vision and the need for collaborative efforts to address workers’ issues.
The meeting saw participation from senior officials across departments including Finance, Industries, Women and Child Development, Higher Education, Planning and Coordination, and Panchayati Raj, alongside major corporate and industrial representatives from NALCO, Tata Steel, Infosys, JK Paper, IFFCO, Apollo Hospitals, and Jindal Steel.
Leaders from trade unions such as INTUC, CITU, Hind Mazdoor Sangh, AICCTU, and AIUTUC also presented suggestions for enhancing the welfare of workers across sectors.
The session concluded with a vote of thanks proposed by Additional Secretary Niti Ranjan Sen.
