Vijayawada: Workers in droves register for insurance cover

Vijayawada: Thousands of workers in the unorganised sector in Vijayawada are registering their names in the e-Srama portal maintained by the Union Ministry of Labour and Employment to provide insurance. The Central government with an objective of providing insurance to the poor workers launched the registration of names free of cost.

Construction workers, poultry workers, rod bending workers, centring workers, painters, electrical workers, carpenters, plumbers, agriculture farm workers, small farmers, dairy farm workers, mutha workers and other workers in the unorganised sector are eligible for the enrolment of names.

Workers who have ESI facility, provident fund and income tax assesses are not eligible for the registration of their names in the e-Srama portal.

Enumerators are registering the names of workers in the makeshift tents arranged in different parts of Vijayawada city. Workers in the age group of 16 to 56 years are eligible for the registration of names. The scheme is applicable for accidental death cases.

Unorganised sector workers can register their names with Aadhaar card, mobile number and bank passbook at the makeshift camps organised by the Union Ministery of Labour and Employment.

In Vijayawada city, the camps were arranged at Vambay Colony, Pfiserpet and Satyanarayanapuram. One camp is being organised at the New RR Pet. Village level enumerators N Kishore and N Gandhi have taken up the responsibility of registering the names in the e-Srama portal.

The Union government is not collecting fee from the workers for enrolling their names and to provide insurance cover of Rs 2 lakh to the kin in case of death or permanent disability and Rs 1 lakh to the partial disability of the worker.

The insurance coverage is provided to the workers as per the orders of the Supreme Court. The district Collectors are giving permission to the staff to register the names of workers. After the registration of names in e-Srama portal, each worker will get unique identification number. The number contains details of name, nominee, bank account, Aadhar number, address, father's name, age etc. The workers have to keep the registration as proof of registering the number and to get the insurance claim.

It is estimated around 8 lakh workers in Krishna district will be registered their names for the free insurance. So far, over two lakh workers have registered their names. The Central government may continue the registration of names till January/February 2022.

Workers in the organised sector have facilities like ESI and PF. On the other hand, crores of workers in the unorganised sector don't have facilities like PF, ESI or insurance. Keeping in view of the plight of the kin after the death of breadwinner, the Central government has decided to provide free insurance up to Rs 2 lakh to the workers in the unorganised sector.