Bonanza for MP's mandi labourers

Bhopal, Sep 23 (UNI) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan today announced a bouquet of benefits for mandi labourers and weighing-scale operators.

''A pension scheme and housing scheme will be implemented for the operators and labourers. Non-implementation of the old housing scheme for mandi labourers will be probed. The beneficiaries' contribution to the old scheme will be re-injected into the new one,'' he said at his residence, while addressing a panchayat of labourers and weighing-scale operators of the State's Krishi Upaj Mandi Samitis.

Among those present were state Agriculture Minister Gopal Bhargav, Commercial Tax Minister and Mr Chouhan's predecessor Babulal Gaur, Home Minister Himmat Kothari, MPs Kailash Joshi and Ramkrishna Kusmaria.

''The condition -- that the operators and labourers will have to clear fifth standard to be eligible for licenses -- will be done away with. The labourers and operators will henceforth be able to work till the age 62 instead of 58. Their representatives will be included in the Madhya Pradesh State Cooperative Marketing Board and State Agricultural Marketing Board,'' the Chief Minister said.

The Madhya Pradesh Krishi Upaj Mandi Adhiniyam, 1972 would be amended for incorporating a provision for election of representatives of operators and labourers in mandi samitis.

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