Organised At Last: Health insurance scheme for 1.6 cr workers
Economic Times

Workers in the unorganised sector will also be covered under the health insurance scheme expected to come into effect from April 1, 2008. While the government would initially cover only 1.6 crore workers in the unorganised sector, the scheme would be extended to nearly 6 crore workers in the coming years, labour & employment secretary Sudha Pillai said on Saturday.

“The workers would be given a smart card by various fund managers in public and private sectors. It will cost Rs 30 per person. The workers will also have the option to get their families covered under the scheme,” said Ms Pillai at a seminar organised by Assocham.

Such provisions have already been incorporated in the pension reform bill, particularly for the unorganised sector workers, which is l ikely to sail through in the forthcoming budget session. The government is serious about executing its commitment of providing social security to the entire working community and that’s why the health insurance scheme is being made mandatory for the unorganised sector as well, she added.

Some social security schemes are also being worked out for those en-gaged in mining, iron-ore extraction, beedi-making and rick-shaw pullers as this lot remains highly unprotective from calamities, Ms Pillai said.

The secretary said the labour ministry had written to a large number of states and union territories to execute its health insurance scheme by covering nearly 6 crore workers in the unorganised sector.

Mandatory health insurance scheme for unorganised sector from Apr 1
Tribune

Keeping its commitment to provide social security to all segment of working communities, the Government today announced to make health insurance scheme mandatory for unorganised sector from April 1.
Addressing a seminar on Knowledge of Pension and Retirement schemes, orgainsed by Assocham, Union Labour and Employment Secretary Sudha Pillai said the scheme would cover 1.6 crore workers of unorganised sector. In subsequent years, nearly six crore workers will be covered, she added.
Under the scheme, the workers will get their family covered and will be given smart card by various fund managers in public and private sectors on payment of Rs 30.

These provisions have already been incorporated, particularly for unorganised sectors, in the pension reform bill which is likely to sail through in the Budget session of the Parliament, Ms Pillai said in a statement.
Due to the dangers involved in the nature of their jobs, workers engaged in mining, iron and ore sectors, beedi making and rickshaw pulling will also be protected under various social security schemes, on which the government is working out, she added.
To execute the scheme, Labour and Employment Ministry has already written a large number of states and union territories to gear up for it and work out suitable model piece, she apprised.

Health insurance scheme for 1.6 cr workers
Economic Times

Workers in the unorganised sector will also be covered under the health insurance scheme expected to come into effect from April 1, 2008. While the government would initially cover only 1.6 crore workers in the unorganised sector, the scheme would be extended to nearly 6 crore workers in the coming years, labour & employment secretary Sudha Pillai said on Saturday.

“The workers would be given a smart card by various fund managers in public and private sectors. It will cost Rs 30 per person. The workers will also have the option to get their families covered under the scheme,” said Ms Pillai at a seminar organised by Assocham.

Such provisions have already been incorporated in the pension reform bill, particularly for the unorganised sector workers, which is likely to sail through in the forthcoming budget session. The government is serious about executing its commitment of providing social security to the entire working community and that’s why the health insurance scheme is being made mandatory for the unorganised sector as well, she added.

Some social security schemes are also being worked out for those en-gaged in mining, iron-ore extraction, beedi-making and rick-shaw pullers as this lot remains highly unprotective from calamities, Ms Pillai said.

The secretary said the labour ministry had written to a large number of states and union territories to execute its health insurance scheme by covering nearly 6 crore workers in the unorganised sector.

Govt to rope in more fund managers for EPFO corpus
Economic Times

The government on Saturday said it is planning to appoint more fund managers for the efficient management of the Employees Provident Fund Organisation corpus.

"We are looking forward for the appointment of more fund managers. We hope to get more fund managers in the next fiscal," Labour and Employment Secretary, Sudha Pillai said at a seminar organised by Assocham. There would soon be multiple fund managers to manage the fund of EPFO, which has over 4 crore subscriber, she said.

Currently, the country's largest public sector lender State Bank of India is the sole fund manager. In line with managers for new pension scheme for government employees, EPFO would also have multiple fund managers for the efficient management of the corpus. When asked about whether the corpus of the EPFO can be invested in the stock market, Pillai said, no consensus has been arrived at on the issue. On providing health insurance to unorganised sector worker, she said, the government intends to provide health cover to 1.6 crore workers in the next fiscal. Workers would be given smart card by various fund managers in public and private sectors, for which the policy holder would have to pay Rs 30 for each smart card for the cover, she said.