PM kicks off campaigning from homeground

Lucknow, Feb 22: Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee today kicked off his election campaign from the familiar ground of his constituency Lucknow. Keeping up with the recent NDA trend of doling out economic sops for the electorate, Vajpayee announced a social security scheme for workers in the unorganised sector in Lucknow and other places. Decrying the present status of close to 37 crore workers in the country’s unorganised sector, Vajpayee said that this is the first time that any effort is being made to “give them justice”. “It is a shame that the people who drive key sectors like agriculture, construction, trade, communication and transport have been denied basic benefits like pensions, medical treatment and compensation in case of accident or death,” Vajpayee said. He added that the workers had welcomed their new initiative, and quoted a Railway worker as saying that the people would have to vote Vajpayee back into power for their own good. The PM will inaugurate a sports complex of the Sports Authority of India (SAI).
The PM is also scheduled to join Kalyan Singh for dinner at his (Singh’s) residence this evening. Elaborate security arrangements have been made in the state capital following the VVIP visit. Highlights of the new social security scheme:

New scheme to cover 37 crore temporary and permanent workers in the unroganised sector

Pilot project to cover 50 locations, including all state capitals

Workers earning less than Rs 6,500 per month to be eligible

Workers in the age group of 36-50 years to pay Rs 100 per month for the scheme, those above 50 years of age to pay Rs 50 per month

Remaining cost of the scheme to be borne jointly by the government and the employers

Eligible workers, and family of five to be eligible for group health insurance

Eligible workers to receive upto Rs 36,000 per annum for hospital treatment

Eligible workers to receive compensation in case of accident, families to receive ex-gratia pension in case of death

Bureau Report