Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)

Udupi, Feb 5: The government has drawn up a plan to extend the facility of pension to even unorganized workers who have no employment security, and also self-employed persons.

Even though 50 percent of the total income of the country comes from 42 crore workers who are employed in unorganized sector, these workers used to face bleak future during the fag end of their life as they were unable to save money in the prime years of life.

In the form of a solution to this problem, the central government has introduced the Prime Minister's Shramyogi Man-Dhan (PMSYA) contribution-based pension scheme. Under the scheme, beneficiaries aged over 60 can draw a pension.

 
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Unorganized workers aged between 18 and 40 years whose income is Rs 15,000 or less per month, who have not paid income tax and who are not beneficiaries of ESI, EPF and NPS schemes are eligible to get the benefit of this scheme. Officials of the labour department say that by regularly paying monthly contributions, the workers, after attaining the age of 60, can withdraw up to Rs 36,000 yearly pension.

The National Pension Scheme based on contributions under which vendors, merchants and self-employed people can get a monthly pension of Rs 3,000 after reaching 60 years of age also is in vogue. Beneficiaries aged between 18 and 40 years, whose annual turnover does not cross Rs 1.5 crore, who are not income tax payers and who are not the beneficiaries of ESI, EPF, NPS, PMKVY schemes can avail of the benefits of this scheme.

Under the scheme, shop owners, retailers, owners of rice and oil mills, workshop owners, commission agents, real estate brokers, small hotels, restaurant owners and self-employed people engaged in small business can become beneficiaries.

For both the pension schemes, people can register themselves in general service centres by furnishing Aadhar cards, bank passbooks and details of nominees and by paying monthly contributions. Initial contribution has to be paid in cash and thereafter the same can be debited to their bank accounts through auto debits.

The contribution payable is fixed on the basis of the age of the beneficiaries. It will range between Rs 55 to 200 per month. The beneficiary becomes eligible for Rs 3,000 assured monthly pension on reaching 60 years of age.

If the beneficiary dies before reaching the age of 60, or he is unable to pay contributions because of permanent disability, his life partner can join the scheme or withdraw the accumulated contribution along with interest. If the beneficiary dies after the pension starts, his wife or husband can get a 50 percent pension. For Udupi district, 24,700 Pradhan Mantri Shramogi Man-Dhan scheme targets have been fixed and 5,300 under NPS scheme. Eligible people from unorganized sectors, workers, self-employed and merchants have to make best use of the facility, says district labour officer, Kumar.

Domestic helps, street vendors, people who make midday meal, coolies, workers of brick kilns, cobblers, rag pickers, washermen, rickshaw drivers, landless labourers, self-employed, agricultural labourers, construction workers, beedi workers, handloom workers, workers of leather industry, sound and light workers and those working in other sectors fall in the unorganized workers category.