Unorganised labourer is one such section. Chief Minister Shiv Raj Singh Chouhan has announced an ambitious package for them. According to this package, unorganised labourers will get houses, elaborate medical and educational facilities for their children.

While announcing the package, Chauhan said the service of labourers is equal to serving God. Government will take all essential steps to remove the problems of labourers. Chouhan said that labourers made great contribution in the growth of the state.

Chouhan announced that pucca houses will be made available to every labourer of the state. This task will be completed within three years. Pucca houses will be made available to the labourers in cities while families of labourers in villages will be marked and given pattas besides making funds available to them for construction of pucca houses.

Government will bear the fees of children of labourers for their education starting from Class I to Doctorate. This will include engineering, medical and prestigious management institutes. Shramoday Vidyalayas will be opened in Bhopal, Jabalpur, Gwalior and Indore on the lines of public schools for children of the labourers. All facilities will be made available to these children in these schools.

Free coaching will be available in the best coaching institutes for the outstanding children of labourers to prepare them for competitive examinations. Fees of these institutes will be paid by the government. Facilities will be made for treatment of labourers with serious ailments in well known private hospitals. If need arises, arrangements will be made for their treatment in cities like Mumbai and New Delhi. Small term training centres will be set up for labourers engaged in petty trade in unorganised sector.

Chief Minister said that it is his dream that labourers of the state become capable enough to set up their own enterprises. For this, arrangement of one-year training will be made for them and bank loans will be made available for them so that they become self-reliant. They will also get subsidy on loans and the loan guarantee will be taken by the government. Loan will be made available to one lakh labourers every year for self-employment.

Complete health check-up will be conducted for labourers’ children under five years of age and special nutritious meals will be arranged for them. Rs. 4,000 will be provided to 6 to 9 months pregnant women labourers for nutrition. After delivery, government will deposit Rs. 12,500 in the accounts of the concerned woman so that she does not have to work under such conditions and can rest at home.

Distribution of slippers shoes under Charan Paduka Yojana and another scheme for distribution of cold water bottles to women who collect tendu leaves, mahua flowers and chirounji. Arrangement is being made for cash payment of Rs. 5,000 from Panchayat/Urban unit in case of death of a labourer so that the last rites can be performed with dignity. Family of the deceased labourer will be given Rs. 2 lakhs in case of his natural death and Rs. 4 lakh in case of death in an accident.

Registration of labourers has already begun which will be completed by the month of May. For this a special portal has been created. It is sufficient for the labourer to write to the concerned Panchayat or Urban Unit for registration that he is a labourer, does not have a job and does not pay income tax. Initiative will be taken to provide e-rickshawas to Physically handicappeds. Similarly, steps will be taken to give e-loaders to hand cart owners. For this Rs. 30 thousand subsidy will be made available along with 5 per cent interest grant. People doing small jobs in cities will be provided with Rs. 4,000 for cycles. Families of all unorganised labourers will be given power connections at a flat rate of Rs. 200 per month.

Madhya Pradesh Asangathit Shahri Gramin Karmakar Kalyan Mandal president Sultan Singh Shekhawat said that the unorganised labourer community is the most exploited and deprived section of the society. He said that Madhya Pradesh is the first state that thinks for the betterment of the unorganised labourers. Shekhawat has expressed the hope that Madhya Pradesh will take solid steps for the welfare of labourers of unorganised sector and will help realize the dream of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaay. (IPA Service)