The Coir Board has launched a unique scheme which is the ‘Welfare Measures-Coir Workers Group Personal Accident Insurance’ scheme and is implementing the same for providing financial compensation to deceased/disabled coir worker/nominee. The entire insurance premium is paid by the Coir Board to the insurance company selected by calling quotations. The financial reimbursement is provided by the insurance company to the disabled coir workers or nominee of the disabled or deceased coir workers
Coir Board has implemented various welfare programs for the benefit of coir workers in the coir producing states. The Welfare Measures envisaged under the Model Coir Village Scheme included construction of workshed, sanitary latrine, smokeless Chulha, providing drinking water, houses for Coir workers, etc. Kerala Coir Workers Welfare Fund Board As per the direction of Government of India, the Board halted implementing Model Coir Village Scheme in Kerala from 1991-92 onwards. However, Board has been extending financial assistance to the Kerala Coir Workers Welfare Fund Board (KCWWFB) for implementing various welfare programs such as retirement fund to coir workers and self-employed persons in coir industry in the state. During the year 1995-96 an amount of Rs. 50 lakhs was recommended to the Government of India for making a contribution to KCWWFB. Board also decided to resume a utilised amount of Rs.8.5 lakhs available in the Model Coir Village Scheme account and contribute to KCWWFB to run the Rajeev Gandhi Memorial Old Age Home. During 1995-96 the government of Kerala also contributed Rs. 40 lakhs to the KCWWFB.
The Coir Industry Act, 1953 enjoins upon the Coir Board the responsibility of formulating and implementing suitable schemes for the overall development of Coir Industry and welfare of all other engaged in the Coir Industry, Coir Workers are among the most unorganised and socially and economically weaker sections of the Society. About 80% of the primary workforce consists of women. Underemployment, drudgery, unhygienic working and living conditions are the common features of the Coir Industry. Basic amenities of life are very often not available in this sector and the people are unable to find their own resources to acquire such facilities. Though mechanisation/modernization are rapidly taking place in some sectors of the industry, the fibre extraction in white fibre sector is still being undertaken manually under unhygienic conditions. In the background of demands for limited resources from various interests, it is essential to carry on developmental schemes for the benefit of marginalised groups alone like coir workers. Even though there are welfare schemes implemented by various Departments / Ministries under Central / State Government which are similar to the programmes implemented by Coir Board, Coir workers seldom get any benefit. There are several instances where multi Ministry / Department schemes have resulted in better synergy producing noticeable gains. The Welfare Measures proposed by the Board consist of three Sub-Schemes viz.
• Production Enhancement Linked Coir Workers Welfare Scheme.
• Contribution to Coir Workers’ Welfare Fund Board
• Insurance to Coir Workers I. Production Enhancement Linked Coir Workers Welfare Scheme
Ministry
Ministry of micro, small and medium enterprises
via Objective
- To mitigate the hardships of workers and to ameliorate their living and working conditions.
- To achieve better productivity and employment generation through Production Oriented Welfare Infrastructure.
- To improve the working and living conditions of the coir workers so as to attract a younger generation to the coir industry thereby creating new employment opportunities.
- Accident insurance providing financial compensation to the disabled/nominee
Eligibility
Eligibility
Coir workers aged 18 years and above engaged in the industry (no upper age limit) are covered under the insurance scheme and provided proper funds and facilities accordingly. The disabled coir worker or nominee of the disabled/deceased coir worker can apply for the claim. Majorly considering the welfare of the women who form the majority of the group proposed, the misfortune in their case will include death and disablement arising out of and traceable to sterilisation and consequent complications, arising out of pregnancy, childbirth, cesarian hysterectomy, removal of the breast as well as murder and rape, etc.
Compensations Payable
- Accident death: Rs.50,000
- Permanent total disability: Rs.50,000
- Permanent partial disability: Rs.25,000
- Provision for finger cut: Depending upon the finger and limited to applicable percentages of capital sum insured.
How To Apply ?
A Udyami Helpline: Dial 1800-180-6763 [Toll-Free Number] for queries relating to this Schemes.
In the event of an eligible admissible claim, the claim form should be submitted through the offices of Coir Board certified for the purpose within the time limit fixed by disabled coir worker or a nominee of the disabled/deceased coir worker.
Benefits
The Scheme provides basic amenities to the coir workers, most of whom are below poverty line and from economically and socially backwards areas.
• The most desirable coir workers are benefited which will go a long way in motivating them resulting in the enhancement of production.
• The Scheme will attract the younger generation to the coir industry in view of a better working environment and improved infrastructure being created.
• It is a unique scheme addressing directly the welfare needs of the workers particularly the most backwards sectors of the industry – fibre extraction, spinning and tiny and micro enterprises.
• The provisions such as work-shed, spinning shed etc. provide shelter to the women workers from hot sun and rain and ensure uninterrupted production.
• The cumulative effect would be arresting migration of labour from this sector to others seeking better environment and remuneration.
CONCLUSION
No other insurance scheme is such specifically aimed for the benefit of coir workers in India. Because of the economic backwardness coir workers are not in a position to get them any kind of Insurance Scheme for securing their life against accident/accident death which a big loss because there life is also equally valuable. The added advantage of the scheme is that coir workers, most of whom are far below the poverty line, do not have to pay any premium for their part and the Coir Board pays the entire premium on behalf of 4 lakhs coir workers in the country. Similarly, coir activities are concentrated in backwards rural areas where Government level medical facilities are rather not sufficient to take care of the medical needs of coir workers. Health problems are common among coir workers because of the occupational hazards. In most cases, the workers have to depend on private hospitals and medical care. Appropriate medicare insurance will be a great solace to poor workers in the context of ever increasing medical expenses.