Labour Ministry's drive brings 9 lakh wage workers into banking fold

The Labour Ministry's drive to open accounts of wage workers has brought 9 lakh persons into banking fold since November 26, 2016, when the programme was launched.

"The huge efforts of Labour and Employment Ministry have succeeded in bringing over 9 lakh workers into banking fold within six days of launching a campaign on November 26," the Labour Ministry said in a statement.

According to the statement, 25.68 crore Jan dhan Accounts are existing and all the workers who do not have bank accounts are being covered under the drive.

It said that till last evening (December 1, 2016) 9,15,431 bank accounts were opened by organising 33,145 camps for this purpose.

Within four days till November 29, total 3,87,037 bank accounts were opened by holding 15,134 camps across the country.

On November 30, 9,085 camps were organised and 2,90,224 bank accounts were opened while on December 1, 2,38,170 more bank accounts were opened, it said.

The campaign is on and officers of the Ministry have been deputed for coordinating/supervising the bank account opening activities at the camps, across the country, it added.

The Ministry launched the campaign for opening bank accounts of workers especially in unorganised sector like construction, beedi, scheme workers like Anganwadi, Asha and cine workers who still do not have bank accounts.

The objective of the campaign is to ensure that all workers come into banking fold and their wages are paid directly into their accounts.

This will not only prevent exploitation of workers and payment of wages without cut but will also inculcate the habit of using cashless transactions, it added.

In a separate statement, Labour Ministry said that during a meeting of the consultative committee attached to it held on Thursday, members have suggested to set up new medical facilities by ESIC in emerging labour intensive areas.