PHOTO: PTI

NEW IDEAS: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh receiving a report from Arjun Sengupta, Chairman, National Commission of Enterprises in Unorganised Sector, in New Delhi on Tuesday.

NEW DELHI: The Arjun Sengupta Commission on Tuesday submitted to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh a new and modified draft of the Unorganised Sector Workers' Bill to cover 362 million workers in that sector.

There have been three draft bills for unorganised workers, including one by the National Advisory Council and another by the Labour Ministry. Another Bill was prepared by the erstwhile National Democratic Alliance Government.

The new Bill proposes a National Minimum Social Security Scheme for all unorganised workers whose monthly salary is less than Rs. 6,500.

This would include benefits such as health cover, sickness allowance, maternity benefit and life insurance. There is also a Provident Fund cover with assured returns of 10 per cent and old-age pension of Rs. 200 per month for below the poverty line (BPL) workers.

The cost of the scheme, proposed by the National Commission for Enterprises in the Unorganised Sector, is expected to be Rs. 7,367 crore (.20 per cent of the GDP) in the first year and Rs. 25,401 crore (.48 per cent of GDP) in the fifth year.

The large network of post offices in the country are to play a major role in making payments under the new Bill, which proposes the constitution of a nodal National Social Security Board (NSSB), headed by a Chief Executive Officer.

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