Par nod to increased compensation in case of workplace mishap

Parliament today passed a bill that provides for compensation of up to Rs 1 lakh if an employee is injured in an industrial accident and has a provision for hefty penalty in case of any violation by the employers.
The Employees Compensation (Amendment) Act 2016 was passed by a voice vote in the Rajya Sabha after Labour and Employment Minister Bandaru Dattatreya said the government was committed to ensuring protection of jobs, wages, social security and fair wages to the workers.
He said the bill, which was passed by the Lok Sabha last August, covers workers in the organised sector and the government is trying to bring more workers from the informal side to the organised sector.

The new legislation provides for payment of compensation from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh to employees and their dependents in the event of injury by industrial accidents, including occupational diseases.
The Bill, the minister said, also provides a hefty penalty in case of an violation by an employer which could prove to be a "deterrent" to the employees.
Earlier, participating in the debate, Rajeev Gowda (Congress) sought a hike in the compensation for vulnerable workers like those who die cleaning sewage.
"What we are doing about that," he asked.
Tapan Kumar Sen (CPI-M), Veer Singh (BSP), Vijayasai Reddy (YSR Congress), D Raja (CPI), Jairam Ramesh (Congress) and P Bhattacharya (Congress) also participated in the debate.