ILO chooses Odisha for pilot project on social security

The state's poverty reduction from 57.2% in 2004-05 to 32.6% in 2011-12 is among the highest in the country

The International Labour Organization (ILO) has picked Odisha as the first state in the country to run its pilot project on social security.

Odisha was chosen since it has taken significant strides in its social security programmes and is fast expanding its coverage to vast segments of its population including children, women, elderly, disabled and poor. The state's poverty reduction from 57.2 per cent in 2004-05 to 32.6 per cent in 2011-12 is among the highest in the country.

With this pace and a series of impressive social security programmes in its fold, Odisha seems ideally poised to become a leading state in the country in universalising the social security coverage and eventually moving in the direction of establishing Social Protection Floor (SPF).

"Social Protection Floors are basically a system that guarantees minimum of income and health services support to all those who need and calls for governments to ensure it as per nationally defined priorities," informed Ranjit Prakash, National Project Coordinator, SPF, ILO-India at a workshop held here.

Priyadarsi Mishra, MLA (Bhubaneswar North) said: "This initiative will go a step further to strengthen the resolve of the government and catalyse other stakeholders towards inclusive growth. Social protection has numerous economic benefits. In addition to having a positive impact upon labour productivity, social protection can give individual security they need to consume and invest in the economy."

"The Odisha model of social security is laudable and going ahead, we must make efforts to ensure that the intended beneficiaries get the best benefits out of it. The role of media is going to be vital in spreading awareness whereas other stakeholders including NGOs, workers' representatives and employers' organizations too must play a decisive role in this," said Navneet Anand, President, Forum for Indian Journalists on Education, Environment, Health & Agriculture (Fijeeha).

Universal social protection includes adequate cash transfers for all who need them, especially children, pensions for all elderly, and benefits and support for people of working age in case of maternity, disability, work injury or for those without jobs.

This protection can be provided through social insurance, tax-funded social benefits, social assistance service, public works programs and other schemes guaranteeing basic income security.