Insurance scheme for farm workers

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JUNE 30. In a significant gesture, the Centre today announced a new group insurance scheme for agricultural workers that will provide them comprehensive benefits of life insurance, pension and disability benefits. The scheme will be launched in phases to cover the social security needs of over 300 million agricultural labourers .

Called the Krishi Shramik Samajik Suraksha Yojana-2001 (KSSSY), it has been formulated by the Labour Ministry in consultation with the Finance Ministry and the Life Insurance Corporation of India will launch it from tomorrow. In the first phase, each block in 50 districts across the country will be covered benefitting 20,000 agricultural labourers.

The launch of KSSSY was jointly announced by the Union Labour Minister, Dr. Satyanarayan Jatiya, and the Union Finance Minister, Mr. Yashwant Sinha, at a press conference here today.

As per the scheme, each worker will contribute Rs. 365 per annum at the rate of Re. one per day while the Government's share would be Rs. 730 per annum. For pension eligibility, the minimum period of contribution would be 10 years. At present, the pension ranges from Rs. 100 to Rs. 1,900 while lumpsum payment to the family on death ranges between Rs. 13,000 and Rs. 2.5 lakhs.

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