NIRMAL, MARCH 28, 2024: The Union Government had launched the e-shram cards to provide social security benefits to the unorganised workers, but it remain a distant dream in the district as the dependents have to run from pillar to post to make claims of the benefits as announced by the government.
Pravasi Mitra Labour Union (PMLU) president Swadesh Parikipandla said that the Union government had bought the e-shram card by creating much hype after the deadly Covid-19 and forced the unorganised labour force to get registered with the e-shram portal and collect a card to claim the benefits of Rs 2 lakh for accidental death and Rs 1 lakh for physical disability.
Unfortunately, there is not a single claim in the Nirmal for the dependents of the e-shram card beneficiaries. A widow Kolipaka Lakshmi, a native of Dhani village in Sarangapur mandal, had been visiting from pillar to post to secure the benefits announced by the Union government as her husband, a construction worker, who possess e-shram card, died of electric shock while working on September 3, 2023.
With the support of Pravasi Mitra Labour Union president Swadesh, Lakshmi submitted a petition to the Collector in Nirmal town on Thursday and urged the government to take necessary measures to provide the announce benefits to the dependent family of e-shram beneficiaries.
PMLU leader Swadesh said that they had approached the labour department, who stated that the e-shram portal was accepting the claims of the beneficiaries who died in the year of 2022 only. He urged the district Collector to take necessary measures to ensure that the claims are settled to all the e-shram card beneficiaries and launching awareness programmes as majority of the beneficiaries who not know how to claim the benefits announced by the Union government.
