Cabinet nod for changes in social security bill

NEW DELHI: The government on Thursday approved certain amendments to expand the ambit of a bill providing social security schemes to unorganised workers.

The amendments in the Unorganised Sector Workers' Social Security Bill 2007, approved by the Union Cabinet, seek to facilitate formulation of social security schemes for unorganised workers, Information and Broadcasting Minister P R Dasmunsi told reporters here.

He said efforts will be made to ensure passage of the Bill, pending in the Rajya Sabha, during the next session of Parliament.

Sources said that the government intended to rename the bill by dropping the word 'sector' from the title of the draft legislation in line with the suggestion made by a Parliamentary Standing Committee scrutinising it.

The purpose behind the move was to ensure that unorganised workers employed in the organised sector are also covered, they said.

The Labour Ministry is also examining whether volunteers, working under various welfare schemes like Aanganwadis, could be covered under the proposed Bill.

The Union Cabinet exempted special category states -- Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Northeastern states -- from paying deployment charges for Central Forces, including special armed police for the period April 1, 2005 to March 31, 2009, Dasmunsi said.

This move would help these states to utilise available funds for developmental purposes, he said.