The West Bengal Government on Friday demanded at least 75 per cent assistance from the Centre to run various social security programmes for the benefit of unorganised sector workers in the State.
“The State Government is ready to give its matching grant of 25 per cent,” State Labour Minister, Mr Purnendu Bose, said here while inaugurating the Social Security Fortnight organised by his department.
Giving away cheques to a number of beneficiaries under various schemes for workers in the unorganised sector, Mr Bose regretted the absence of Central assistance to run social security programmes for unorganised sector workers.
Mr Bose said that nearly 94 per cent of workers in the state belonged to the unorganised sector.
He said the State Government has taken up various programmes for unorganised sector workers which included schemes in provident fund, education, health benefit, pension benefit, accidental death benefit and other social uplift programmes.
The Minister has also called upon all trade union bodies irrespective of their political affiliations to cooperate with the Government initiative and popularise the schemes from the grassroots level.
Altogether, 21 beneficiaries received financial benefits under various schemes for the unorganised sector.