Volunteers of government's flagship schemes to get social security

NEW DELHI: The government is wooing over one crore volunteers handling the implementation of flagship schemes with social security cover.

The move that will make them eligible for provident fund to begin with and eventually entitle them to health insurance and medical benefits akin to any organised sector worker.

The beneficiaries would include anganwadi workers, mukhya sewikas, social health activists or ASHA workers, mid-day meal workers, para teachers and krishak sathis amongst others who are often deprived of even minimum wages despite managing crucial schemes like National Rural Health Mission, Integrated Child Development Scheme and Mid-Day Meal.

A senior labour ministry official told ET that a policy is in the offing. “We intend to bring all scheme volunteers under social security net so that they start getting provident fund benefits,” the official said on the condition of anonymity.

The government is developing social indicators to mark the success of all its big schemes across health, education, old age, child and women development, nutrition sectors.

Currently, scheme volunteers get honorarium, which is lesser than minimum wages in any state because they are still not classified as “workers”.

Once the ministry policy identifies them as “workers”, they would be entitled to minimum wages and coverage under Employees Provident Fund Organisation and Employees’ State Insurance Corporation.