Social security for farm, unorganised sectors: PM

New Delhi, Aug 20 (UNI) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said that the government was considering the setting up of a ''Working Group'' consisting of all stakeholders to put in place a social security mechanism for workers in the farm and other unorganised sectors.

''I believe that there are many things possible for the welfare of our Labour. They include social security, health care and life insurance,'' Dr Singh said in his concluding remarks at a meeting he held with trade union leaders late last evening.

Acknowledging that some important issues had been raised at the meeting on the welfare of agricultural workers and unorganised sector workers, he said the government was examining the details of each of the components of a social security scheme.

''The fact that we have draft proposals from many sources is a demonstration of the interest we are taking in the matter,'' he explained.

The Prime Minister said the government was also looking at a framework to create ''crores of jobs our country needs.'' He admitted that it was a paradox that several sectors of the economy was facing a shortage of skilled manpower at a time when over 50 per cent of the country's population was below 25 years of age and over half of the unemployed would be educated unemployed soon.

''We need to generate jobs. We need to generate more incomes.

We need better working conditions for labour. We need a better social security system. We need better Labour Law implementation.

''We will consider setting up a Working Group consisting of all stakeholders to suggest concrete ways of moving forward on all these issues in a short time frame,'' he said.

UNI SN RP KN1749