Economic Survey 2013: NAC member says Survey 'wanting' in social security commitment

NEW DELHI: Finding the Economic Survey "wanting" in its social security commitment for unorganised workers, NAC member Aruna Roy today said it did not specify how the government intends to attend the issue.

The Survey is highly wanting when it comes to the commitment of social security for unorganized workers, Roy said in a statement.

"It assumes that government's commitment stops with merely listing out all the major programmes such as Aam Admi Bima Yojana, the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana, the Unorganized Workers Social Security Act 2008 and the National Social Security Fund.

"It neither clarifies nor addresses how the government intends to address the social protection needs of a large section of the population that is struggling to lead a life with dignity," the statement added.

The 12-member NAC is headed by Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

Roy said though the Survey clearly acknowledges the need for increasing government revenues by expanding the tax base it fails to outline concrete policy measures that could be adopted for achieving this important objective.

On the job front, she said, "The Economic Survey recognizes that jobs created by the industry are largely those of low productivity and non-contractual and offer little protection and no benefits."

The rhetoric becomes even more blatant and obvious given the fact that there is no reference in the relevant section to address social security entitlements of unorganized workers, who by their own admission constitute more than 95 per cent of the workforce, the statement said.