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Approval for Plantations Workers Bill

Special Correspondent

To ensure the safety of workers

NEW DELHI: The government on Friday approved the introduction of the Plantations Labour (Amendment) Bill, 2008 in Parliament for making amendments to the Indian Plantation Labour Act, 1951 to provide a mechanism for ensuring the safety, health and wealth of the about one million plantation workers (as per the International Labour Organisations estimates) in the country.

“The working conditions of labourers in the plantations have left a lot to be desired. Therefore, we have decided to set up a mechanism to provide for their safety, health and wealth,” Union Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal told journalists after a Cabinet meeting.

The government plans to amend the definition of family to remove the distinction between a female and a male worker and the definition of worker would also be amended by enhancing the wage ceiling from Rs. 750 to Rs. 10,000. “The medical facilities to be provided to the workers and to their families [would also be amended] making it obligatory on the State government to provide medical facilities,” he said.

The State government could recover the cost from the employers. “Most importantly no child shall be employed to work in any plantation.”

Highlighting the need for giving an impetus to the sector, he said the government would also look at the whole plantation sector because this was an area, where India was facing a lot of competition from other countries, including Sri Lanka, Kenya and Vietnam.

“We need to make the plantation sector more competitive,” he said adding that even the Prime Minister was looking into the issue.

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