The Hindu : Karnataka News : Subsidy for beedi workers doubled

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Aug 04, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

Subsidy for beedi workers doubled

SOLAPUR (MAHARASHTRA), AUG 3. In a move that will benefit thousands of beedi workers in Karnataka, among other States, the Union Government today announced the doubling of subsidy for the construction of low-cost houses for these workers in the country to Rs. 40,000 a unit.

The announcement was made by Union Labour Minister, Sis Ram Ola, during a visit to Kumbhari on the outskirts of Solapur, where 10,000 houses are being built for beedi workers. Solapur is famous for its several beedi-production mills.

Mr. Ola announced that the eligibility condition of monthly income of a beedi worker of Rs. 3,500 has been raised to Rs. 6,500 now to ensure that more and more beneficiaries were brought under the ambit of the scheme. There are about 40 lakh beedi workers in the country. The State has nine lakh of them, with Dakshina Kannada itself having four lakh.

The workers are spread over 13 districts in the State. As many as 2.81 lakh of them have been issued identity cards. Of them, 2.39 lakh are in Dakshina Kannada. The Minister said that under the new scheme, beedi workers in Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mysore and Pune would also be able to buy flats in group housing societies. — PTI

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