(a) whether the Government has received any recommendations regarding rehabilitation and
health insurance of textile workers;
(b) if so, the details thereof and the steps taken to operationalise these recommendations;
(c) whether the Government proposes to change the eligibility criteria for the said
scheme by removing the unrealistic and anti-worker provisions; and
(d) if so, the details thereof and the time by which it is likely to be implemented?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF TEXTILES
(SHRI E.V.K.S. ELANGOVAN)
(a) & (b): Yes, Sir. The Government has received the following recommendations:-
(A) In respect of rehabilitation of Textile workers:
(i) Removal of ceiling on the wages under Textile Workers` Rehabilitation Fund Scheme (TWRFS);
and
(ii) Those workers of public and cooperative sector textile mills who are not covered under
social security provisions, should also be covered under TWRFS.
The Government has found that the removal of the criteria of a wage ceiling without
adequate budgetary support will prove counter-productive to the targeted section of textiles
workers. As regards the coverage of the workers of public and cooperative sector textile
mills which are not covered under social security provisions, these are the responsibility
of the concerned State Governments.
(B) In respect of health insurance of textile workers:
(iii) To increase the ceiling of Rs.15,000/- per family under Health Insurance Scheme to
at least Rs.1,50,000/- per annum per family under general medical facilities;
(iv) The areas of critical care like cancer, bye-pass surgery, brain surgery, etc.
should also be brought within the ambit of the Scheme. The ceiling of proposed Rs. 1,50,000
per annum should not, however, apply in such cases.
The Handloom Weavers` Comprehensive Welfare Scheme with the components of Health Insurance
Scheme and the Mahatma Gandhi Bunkar Bima Yojana has been approved by the Government. The
steps taken to operationalize the recommendations and enhance the benefits, as far as
possible, are as under:-
Under the Mahatma Gandhi Bunkar Bima Yojana, at the same (current) rate of premium,
the benefits have been substantially enhanced as under:-
S. No. Earlier Benefits Benefits from 01.10.2007
(i) Natural Death Rs. 50,000/- Rs. 60,000/- (ii) Accidental Death Rs. 80,000/- Rs. 1,50,000/- (iii) Total Disability Rs. 50,000/- Rs. 1,50,000/- (iv) Partial Disability Rs. 25,000/- Rs. 75,000/-