In a move to promote women employment, Prime Minister Narendra Modi led government may soon extend benefits under Employee’s State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) and Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) to the Anganwadi, ASHA and mid-day meal scheme workers in the country.
“We are going to give all Anganwadi workers, ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activists) workers, mid-day meal workers. 90 per cent of them are women,” said Union Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya recently.
“The idea is to give them ESIC and EPFO. They have been agitating for years now. They have no social security for them. They are serving the government, not private. I have formed a committee comprising Women and Child Development ministry, HRD ministry, our (Labour) ministry and Health ministry. I am pleased to tell you that Finance Minister has also agreed to this,” he added.
Formal sector workers would soon be eligible to avail tax-free gratuity up to Rs 20 lakh as central trade unions have agreed on the proposal in a tripartite consultation with the Labour Ministry last month, reported The Financial Express.
“Gratuity is very important. Gratuity, now they are getting Rs 10 lakh. I am going to increase Rs 20 lakh for all. I have done the tri-partite meeting. In the tri-partite meeting, employer and employee, both of them are agreeing,” Dattatreya said.
