Farm workers will soon be included under unorganised labour category: Minister

Labour Minister Santosh S. Lad on Tuesday called upon unorganised sector workers in the State to make use of the welfare schemes implemented by the Labour Department. He said awareness programmes were being held in every district so that the workers are informed about the benefits available to them.

He was speaking after inaugurating the Smart Card distribution and awareness programme for unorganised workers of Mandya district at Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Bhavan. The programme was organised jointly by the Labour Department, Karnataka State Unorganised Workers’ Social Security Board, Transport Department, Mandya District Administration and Mandya Zilla Panchayat.

The Minister said a new accident insurance scheme has been introduced for gig workers, including those who deliver food and essentials at doorsteps, who often work long hours on the road. Under the scheme, ₹5 lakh compensation will be provided in case of accidental death, ₹2 lakh for permanent disability, and up to ₹1 lakh towards hospitalisation expenses.

Mr. Lad advised youth and workers to strictly wear helmets while riding, and called upon the district administration to organise monthly awareness campaigns on road safety for such workers.

Referring to employment opportunities for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, Mr. Lad said the Aasha Deep Scheme aims to promote private sector employment for SC/ST youth. Companies hiring SC/ST workers will receive 50% wage support from the Labour Department, he added.

The Minister said 101 categories of unorganised workers have been identified so far and labour Smart Cards are being issued to them across the State. Agricultural workers will soon be included under the unorganised labour category, Mr. Lad announced.

He also said that the department is working on new welfare schemes for film industry workers, whose efforts are crucial to the success of cinema.

Mandya district in charge Minister and Minister for Agriculture N. Cheluvarayaswamy appreciated the Labour Department’s efforts to create awareness about welfare schemes by directly engaging with workers in districts.

Mandya MLA P. Ravikumar praised the accident insurance scheme, calling it a significant step toward supporting poor workers.

As part of the programme, Smart Cards were distributed to workers from various unorganised sectors.