Farmers Social Security Bill tabled in TN Assembly

Chennai, July 27 (UNI) The Tamil Nadu Government today introduced in the state Assembly a Bill seeking to provide comprehensive social security and ensuring the well being of landless agricultural labourers and farmers.

Introducing the 'Tamil Nadu Agricultural Labourers-Farmers (Social Security and Welfare) Bill, 2006' in the House, Revenue and Law Minister I Periyasamy said the proposed Act would be extended to the whole of Tamil Nadu except Chennai district.

He said the Governor, in his address to the 13th Legislative Assembly in May last, announced that the welfare Boards for workers employed in the unorganised sector would be rejuvenated.

Consequent to the above announcement, the Cabinet considered the subject in its meeting held on July seven and decided to revive the Tamil Nadu Agricultural Labourers Welfare Board and reintroduce and implement the Tamil Nadu Agricultural Labourers Social Security and Welfare Scheme cancelled by the previous Government, he said.

The Minister said the benefits under the scheme would also be extended to farmers who own up to 2.50 acre of wet land or five acre of dry land and registered 'cultivating tenants' holding up to the same extent and engaging themselves in direct cultivation.

He said the Bill when enacted would involve expenditure from the Consolidated Fund of the state. However, it was not possible at this stage to estimate with any degree of accuracy the expenditure likely to be incurred from the consolidated fund of the state on account of the proposed Act.

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