When the Unorganised Sector Social Security Act was passed in December 2008,hundreds of labourers pinned hopes on it for getting pension,medical insurance,maternity benefits and other promises that the Act made. However,more than 18 months after the Act was passed,a uniform social security advisory board for the sector is yet to be formed. The basic idea behind the Act is that all those workers who are not entitled to a provident fund,should be able to avail themselves of benefits similar to that of the organised sector. Many social activists in the city feel that the bureaucracy and the political leadership lacks the will power to actually start the work. Baba Adhav,president,Angmehnati Kashtkari Sangharsh Samiti (AKSS),said,While advisory boards at the Centre and in Orissa,Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have already been constituted,with the Labour Minister as its chairman,we are yet to have one in Maharashtra. The Hamaal,Mathari and Other Manual Workers Act was first drafted by the Maharashtra government as early as in 1969. But now we are lagging behind. He further added that about 40 per cent of the total population of Pune comprises the unorganised labourer. Others pointed out the drawbacks of the Act like it being restricted only to Below Povert Line (BPL) families. There are about 3.7 crore unorganised labourers in Maharashtra and about 40 crore in the country. The sector contributed to 60 per cent of the total GDP of the nation,the annual budget sanction for this sector for this financial year has been only Rs 100 crore,which means about Rs 2.50 for each labourer, said Neetin Pawar,convenor,AKSS. The district collectorate,which was to begin the work of registration,claims that it has still not received a copy of the Act or any orders from the government. Poornima Chikarmane of Kagad,Kach,Patra Kashtakari Panchayat (KKPKP),a city based self-help group said,The Act requires every labourer to be registered under the Board. Only after the board is formed,the registration of the workers can begin. Without being registered,the workers are not entitled to any benefits under the various schemes of the Act. Kavita Gupta,secretary,Labour Department said,Even before the Act came into force,we had some boards in the state like the construction workers board,domestic workers board, mathari board and so on. They are undergoing the last stages of upgradation as per the Act. We can begin registration when thet are ready. But we have felt the need to have an umbrella body for all of them. The work is under way and we will send it to the Centre for approval.
