Sops for landless farm labourers in Madhya Pradesh

Bhopal, Sep 20(UNI) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan today launched an ambitious social security scheme for landless farm labourers, which provides a wide range of concessions including 45-day off with full wages to women after delivery.

Recognising the paternal duty of the husband, the scheme entitles the man to 15-day leave with wages for the period.

Giving details of the scheme, fulfilling his cherished dream, the Chief Minister announced monthly scholarships ranging from Rs 50 to Rs 500 to school-going children of these labourers from class I to higher education, in addition to cash awards from Rs 500 to Rs 4000 for those securing first division in class fifth to post-graduation level.

BJP's state incharge General Secretary Ananth Kumar, BJP spokesperson Muktar Abbas Naqvi, Labour Minister Jagdish Deora, Local-Self Government Minister Narottam Mishra and Cooperative Minister Gopal Bhargav were also present.

Mr Chouhan said medical assistance upto Rs 20,000 for common diseases and upto Rs 75,000 for cancer and other chronic diseases would be provided to the farm labourers under the scheme. If need arose, funds would be sanctioned out of the chief minister's relief fund.

In the event of accidental death, he said, the bereaved family would get Rs 50,000, while Rs 25,000 to Rs 35,000 would be given for disability. Immediate grant of Rs 2,000 would be given for the last rites of deceased labourer.

Village-level registration of eligible labourers for the scheme would be carried out on October 11, the birth anniversary of Loknayak Jai Prakash Narayan and on October 12, the birth anniversary of late Vijayaraje Scindia, while the entire exercise would be completed next month itself.

UNI