Over 1 cr workers reap benefits of state’s social security scheme

Kolkata: The Mamata Banerjee government’s comprehensive social security scheme for unorganised workers known as Bina Mulya Samajik Suraksha Yojana (BMSSY) has already reached a record 1.60 crore beneficiaries till June this year.

Over Rs 2229 crore has been disbursed by the state Labour department under this scheme.

Murshidabad district with over 16.79 lakh lead among the number of beneficiaries of Bina Mulya Samajik Suraksha Yojana followed by South 24-Parganas where over 14.91 lakh have benefitted. The third in the list is East Midnapore where over 14.46 lakh have reaped benefits of the scheme.

“When we assumed office for the first time in 2011, only 8.42 lakh beneficiaries were covered under this scheme. Presently till June 1,59,34003 people are benefitting,” Moloy Ghatak, state Labour minister said.

Broadly three types of benefits are extended by the state Labour department under BMSSY — death benefits, provident fund benefits and disability benefits. The death benefit and the disability benefit varies in the range of Rs 50,000 to Rs 2 lakh. The unorganised sector workers, comprising approximately 93 per cent of the working population of the state, have traditionally been one of the most vulnerable sections of society.

To alleviate their plight, the state government has, from time to time, launched several social security schemes like the State Assisted Scheme of Provident Fund, Welfare Schemes for Building and Other Construction Workers and Social Security Schemes for Transport workers. However, there has been non-uniformity in the benefits across the schemes, resulting in occupation-based disparities across workmen.

To mitigate such anomalies, a project was undertaken to integrate the different schemes and to offer uniform benefits to all unorganised workmen, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in 2017 launched the Samajik Suraksha Yojana, the first of its kind in the country to cover every eligible unorganised worker as per the approved list of unorganised industries (46) and self-employed occupations (15) notified by state the Labour department.

From April 1, 2020, to assist the enrolled beneficiaries further, the state government decided to waive off the beneficiary contribution of Rs 25 a month towards subscription payment for provident funds and decided to contribute the amount itself on behalf of the beneficiaries. The scheme was renamed BMSSY where any enrolled beneficiary can avail of all the available benefits without expending a single rupee.