Govt to expand skill development programme: Kharge

The dalit Congress leader from Karnataka M Mallikarjun Kharge, who took charge as the union Labour and Employment Minister today said he would expand the government's skill development initiative to help groom around 50 crore people by 2022.

Harish Rawat, the Congress MP from Haridwar also assumed charge today as the Minister of State for Labour and Employment along with the senior minister (Kharge).

Outlining his priorities, Kharge said, "The ministry would soon promulgate employment policy to provide a framework for achieving the goal of remunerative and decent employment for all, besides implementing various social security schemes."

"We would amend legislation dealing with Employees Provident Fund and Employees State Insurance Corporation for expanding their scope further," Kharge said.

Under the Employees Provident Fund, the employers have less than 20 employees and are not required to file Provident Fund (PF) returns. The Central Board of Trustees had already approved bringing down the threshold limit to 10 and now it rests upon the the ministry to execute it.

He said, "Under the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojan, all BPL families would be covered within three years. The scheme would cover building and construction workers as well as above poverty line unorganised workers."

Under the national health insurance scheme, the Labour Ministry wants to use Employees' State Insurance Corporation's infrastructure (hospitals and medical centers) for providing health services to insured below poverty line people under the scheme.

When asked whether the EPFO interest rate can be maintained at more than 8.5, the minister said, "We would see what can be done and what is judicious."

According the EPFO estimates, maintaining 8.5 per cent interest rate would result in Rs 6.4 crore suplus.