The Hindu : Karnataka News : Teachers, non-teaching staff to gain

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Saturday, Sep 18, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

Teachers, non-teaching staff to gain

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE, SEPT. 17. The State Government has decided to provide Employees State Insurance (ESI) coverage to teachers and non-teaching employees of private educational institutions.

The Minister of State for Labour and Haj, Tanvir Sait, told presspersons here today that teaching and non-teaching staff of private educational institutions drawing a salary lower than Rs. 7,500 would benefit from the scheme.

Notification soon

The Labour Department had called for objections from the public on the issue. As there were no objections to the proposal, a final notification would be issued soon, he said.

His department signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the German Development Corporation (GTZ) today for a study on social security for unorganised workers in the State. The study had been entrusted to the Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC) here, which would submit a report in January 2005.

Social security Bill

The Minister said that based on the recommendations of the report, the Labour Department would prepare a Bill on social security for unorganised workers. GTZ had released Rs. 13 lakhs to conduct the study. The study would cover agricultural labourers, construction workers and domestic helpers in four agro-climatic zones of the State.

Mr. Sait said roughly 92 per cent (2.5 crore people) of the workforce in the State was in the unorganised sector. The Government had decided to provide social security (insurance, pension, etc.) to the unorganised workforce. There was also a plan to set up a board to look after the welfare of the informal sector workers, he added.

The ISEC conducted a workshop on the subject today and Vatsala Watsa, Principal Secretary, Department of Labour; Sanjiv Kumar, Labour Commissioner, Department of Labour; and officials of other departments attended it.

Funds released

A sum of Rs. 1.05 crores had been released to families whose houses had been damaged in the recent heavy rainfall in the Kodagu district. As many as 303 houses were damaged in the rain. The Public Works Department (PWD) had released Rs. 78 lakhs for road repairs, Mr. Sait, who is also Kodagu district in-charge, said.

`Being looked into'

On reported allegations that some people had obtained duplicate `pattas' (land documents) in Somwarpet taluk, he said the Deputy Commissioner had been instructed to look into the matter.

If required, he would order a Corps of Detectives (CoD) inquiry into the matter, Mr. Sait said.

To tackle the drinking water scarcity in three taluks of the district, the Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board had been asked to prepare a plan, he added.

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