Indian Embassy promoting pension scheme for workers in Abu Dhabi

The Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi is intensifying a campaign to promote a pension scheme for Indian workers.

The move comes at the instructions from the Indian Government following poor response from workers.

According to Gulf News, a senior minister told the Indian Parliament last week that only 90 workers out of 5 million in 17 countries have joined the Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Suraksha Yojana (MPSY), a voluntary pension and life insurance fund, in almost two years - from April 2012 to January 28 this year.

Vayalar Ravi, Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs, told the parliament that the government has sanctioned awareness-cum-enrolment camps in the UAE and also stepped up media campaigns for creating such awareness, the report said.

The Indian Embassy is taking a series of measures, including engaging in BLS International, in the campaign to promote the scheme,

T.P Seetharam, Indian Ambassador to the UAE, said special counters for the scheme would be opened at BLS offices across the UAE, visited by thousands of workers daily.

The voluntary scheme, which offers three important benefits, will help skilled and unskilled workers between the age of 18 and 50 to save money for their old age, the report added.