U-turn: No welfare board, but a scheme for sugarcane farmers for now, says Maharashtra Labour Department

A sub-committee set up by the legislative assembly had suggested to make the sugar factories as the principal employer and cane labourers as part of the factories. Besides, it was also proposed to collect levy from the sugar factories for the various welfare schemes for the cane labourers.

“This would have established the relationship between the sugar factories and cane labourers as employer and worker. It means cane labourers should be given social security benefits such as employees provident fund with others. But, the factories opposed to it, citing that it will increase unnecessary financial burden on them,” said an official. Subsequently, the Labour Department decided to scrap the Welfare Board and bring in a welfare scheme, which is named as Gopinath Munde Sugarcane Labourers Social Security Scheme.

The state cabinet gave its approval in December last year. It has now been proposed to offer benefits such as educational, health, housing with others, officials said.

It would require annually Rs 20 crores, said an official. “As per the new scheme, the government will allocate the funds for it. It is likely meet the same fate like many other schemes for the unorganized workers such as paucity of funds, apathy of officials in reaching out to them with others,” said another official, requesting anonymity. The official further said the levy should have been collected from the factories and it would have also forced the factories to look after the cane labourers properly.

Earlier, similar attempts were made twice to set up the Welfare Board for cane labourers but it did not come to fruition due to opposition from the sugar factories.