Pension system for unorganised workers on the anvil: K C Pant

NEW DELHI: A pension system for unorganised workers is being firmed up, deputy chairman of the Planning Commission K C Pant said.

“It would be useful to frame a perspective plan for extension of social security coverage to all workers in the country in a timeframe of 15 to 20 years,� he said, inaugurating a two-day national seminar here on unorganised labour.

He said the perspective plan should clearly identify the role of employers, workers and their organisations, the central and state governments.

He said in view of the huge latent income-generating potential in the agriculture and agro-forestry sectors, bringing reforms in the agricultural sector formed a core element of the 10th Plan.

Mr Pant said the 10th Plan stated that unless education and training systems were re-oriented towards imparting skills which were consistent with the projected structure of growth, the availability of skills and not of capital might become the main constraint to growth.

Presiding over the conference, Union Labour Minister Sahib Singh Verma said an umbrella legislation for welfare of workers in the unorganised sector would be introduced in Parliament during the Budget session and efforts would be made to get it passed during the same session.

He said that in an attempt to extend the reach of social security measures to workers in the informal sector, social security numbers and social security cards would be introduced to all workers in the unorganised sector.