AP mulls insurance cover for unorganized labour force

Hyderabad, Feb 9 (INN): Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu directed labour department to ensure social security of one crore labourers in the state’s unorganized sector.

At a review meeting on labour policy at Secretariat on Monday, the Chief Minister suggested officials to explore the possibility of issuing licenses to small shopkeepers through a hassle-free online process. He also asked them to look into providing accident cover, Aam Aadmi Bima Yojana, Driver’s insurance, motor insurance and other policies which will ensure security of these vulnerable sections of the society.

Given that several investors are coming forward to invest in Andhra Pradesh, the Chief Minister said that there is an extensive discussion among them about labour force, unions and associations. He asked officials to bring in technologies that will reduce manual work of labourers and reduce physical strain, eventually increasing productivity.

Stating that farm labourers, women from self-sustainable small business and MGNREGS daily-wage labourers have to undergo skill upgrdation, the Chief Minister added that all these groups have to be synchronized.

The Chief Minister asked officials to establish a single point where labourers could reach out for financial resources, skill upgradation/training and available resources. Questioning officials about the productivity from the unorganized sector, the Chief Minister asked officials to come up with ways to increase productivity and revenue from the sector. The Chief Minister informed officials that Centre will constitute a task force for poverty eradication, following his meeting with the Prime Minister yesterday.

In this direction, he asked officials to prepare proposals and present them to the task force, suggesting ways for social empowerment of poor.

He also briefed officials about how the Centre and the states have to work together, following the NITI (National Institute for Transforming India) Aayog meeting, which aims to provide a critical directional and strategic input to the development process in the country.

The Chief Minister recalled how Andhra Pradesh stood as one of the pioneers in labour reforms 10 years ago and how it’s position in implementing labour reforms and ensuring social security has deteriorated over the years. He informed officials that the Prime Minister lauded Rajasthan’s efforts in implemented labour reforms. He directed officials to study the best practices in labour reforms from across the world and customize them based on the local population and implement them in the state.

Minister K Acchan Naidu, Principal Secretary to CM Satish Chandra, Joint Secretary to CM Pradhyumna, APSSDC CEO Ganta Subbarao, Secretaries (labour) Ravi Bhashan, Surya Prakash and other officials were present.