Govt has assured alternative funding for welfare schemes: BMS

RSS affiliate Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) today said the government has assured the trade union that it will come up with an alternative funding mechanism to finance welfare schemes.
Many of the cesses used currently to fund social sector schemes will cease to be with the rollout of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) from July 1.
"The government will soon come out with alternate funding in the place of funding to Welfare Schemes, under new GST," BMS said in statement quoting Nripendra Mishra, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister.
According to the statement, Mishra gave the assurance in reply to the queries of a BMS delegation led by its President C K Saji Narayanan.

Mishra told the delegation that workers need not fear loss of funding for welfare schemes.
He also apprised the delegation that a detailed clarification will soon be given by the government in this regard.

The cess-based schemes include workers in areas such as building and construction, cinemas, beedi making and ore & minerals.
BMS leaders demanded immediate budget provisions to such welfare schemes benefiting crores and crores of worker and their families.
The delegation also raised other issues like proper consultation in labour, economic and trade related matters as well as removing anti-worker contents in new labour law codes namely Labour Code on Wages, Labour Code on Industrial Relations and Labour Code on Social Security.

Mishra told the delegation that the government policy is to make labour law reforms both industry friendly and labour friendly, the statement said.
He assured the delegation that the consultation with all stakeholders including trade unions will be perfected wherever they are lagging.