Employees, teachers of unaided pvt educational institutions in

: In a first in the country, Kerala is all set to bring thousands of employees, including teachers, of unaided private educational institutions under the ambit of the Maternity Benefit Act.

The Centre has given the nod to the state's request to extend the benefits of the Act to employees of unaided private educational institutions--schools and colleges and a notification in this regard would be issued soon, Labour Department sources said.

"It is for the first time that a state government in the country is bringing the unaided private education sector under the ambit of the Maternity Benefit Act," a Labour department release said, adding the state government had also taken steps to ensure minimum wages to teachers in the unaided sector.

The state Cabinet had on August 29 decided to seek the Centre's permission to extend the benefit to the employees of the unaided private educational sector, taking into consideration their plight, the release said.

With the framing of the new rules, thousands of employees in the state's private unaided educational institutions can also avail the 26 weeks maternity leave with salary as guaranteed in the Act like government employees.

The employer also has to provide Rs 1,000 to meet their medical expenses, it said.

As per the records with the government, there are around 1,060 unaided private schools in the state.

There are 1,433 government aided private high schools in the state and 1,227 government high schools.