MP seeks IGNOU help in skill upgrade

Social security schemes for workers coming

To provide organised sector workers exposure to the skilled workers of the unorganised sector, the MP government is in talks with Indira Gandhi National Open University to finalise a plan to offer certificates to them, particularly masons, blacksmiths, goldsmiths, and carpenters.

The State Employment Board is chalking out a plan in this regard to create a system of awarding formal certification to skilled workers so that they can get organised sector jobs.

That way skilled workers would be able to get jobs in domestic firms as well as those abroad, particularly Gulf countries, said Vishwapati Trivedi, principal secretary, employment affairs.

The PHDCCI has recently asked the government to create an ambience for shifting workers from the agriculture sector to the manufacturing and service sectors, and modernise agriculture.

"The government's role should be a regulator in employment," said K N Memani, president, PHDCCI, in Bhopal. According to an estimate, more than one crore are unemployed in the state. Skilled workers are suffering the most.

A formal training would be provided to upgrade the skills, according to the needs of industry, said Trivedi.

In another development, the state government has also launched a scheme called "assistance in the case of death (funeral assistance) and ex-gratia payment scheme", which will cover construction workers in the age group 18"�60.

A deceased worker's family members will get funeral assistance within a week of his or her death provided the worker is a registered member of labourers under the Building and Other Construction Labour Welfare Board Act.

"Ex-gratia payment will be made by cheque to the family within six months of the death of the worker, after verifying the deceased worker's age," a government spokesperson said.

The state government has decided to provide funeral assistance of Rs 2,000 and an ex-gratia of a minimum of Rs 15,000"�20,000 to kith and kin of a construction worker in the case of an accidental death.