SHILLONG, June 19: Labour and Employment Minister Methodius Dkhar on Friday called for extending Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) coverage to all eligible establishments across Meghalaya to ensure that workers receive the benefits available under social security schemes.
He made the appeal while attending a regional programme organised by the Ministry of Labour & Employment at the Auditorium Hall of the Administrative Block, NEIGRIHMS, Shillong, as part of the nationwide Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rojgar Yojana (PM-VBRY) initiative.
It is pertinent to note that the programme in Shillong was held simultaneously with the national event at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi disbursed incentives worth Rs 2,400 crore to more than 15 lakh beneficiaries across the country under PM-VBRY.
A total of 408 participants attended the Shillong event, including 350 beneficiaries, 21 employers, representatives of industry associations, public representatives, senior state government officials and officers and staff of the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO).
As part of the programme, employers distributed 15 employment letters to newly employed workers, facilitating their entry into the organised workforce and enabling them to avail themselves of the benefits of formal employment and social security coverage.
While addressing the gathering, Dkhar stressed the importance of bringing more workers under the ambit of formal employment and social security.
He also appreciated the efforts of the EPFO Regional Office, Shillong, in organising the awareness programme for employers, employees and other stakeholders.
The programme also served as a platform to create awareness about the objectives and benefits of PM-VBRY among employers, employees and job seekers.
Participants were informed about the provisions of the scheme and the incentives available to both employees and employers.
It may be mentioned that the PM-VBRY is a flagship Employment-Linked Incentive (ELI) Scheme of the Government of India aimed at promoting formal employment, supporting first-time entrants into the organised workforce and incentivising employers to create additional jobs.
Under the scheme, eligible first-time employees receive one month’s wage, up to Rs 15,000, while employers are provided incentives for a period of two years for generating additional employment.
