The Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) has welcomed the provisions made in the interim budget announced by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman on Thursday, February 1.
Expressing its satisfaction with the provisions made for the Asha and Aanganbadi workers in the budget, the BMS, in a press release on Thursday, lauded the announcement made by the finance minister.
“The BMS welcomes the provisions made in the budget for the Aanganwadi and Asha worker sisters,” informed the trade union in a press release issued after the union finance minister laid down the interim budget in the parliament.
Further, the trade union, via the release, informed us that the interim budget has been made keeping in mind the long-term development of the country; hence, the trade union welcomes it. The release further read that the rebate provided under the tax slab of Rs 3 lakhs has been extended to Rs 7 lakhs, providing an estimated relief of about 5 per cent to the tax payers of the said category.
The trade union further lauded the step taken to include Asha and Aanganbadi sisters under the flagship scheme of Ayushman Bharat. “The provisions made in the budget will elevate the Aanganbadi centres,” read the release further.
Furthermore, the trade union also praised the government’s intent to provide jobs and profit to the street vendors, Asha workers, beneficiaries of Pradhanmantri Vishwakarma Yojna, and fishermen. The union, in the release, also lauded the new housing scheme announced for the middle class.
While concluding, the trade union has also welcomed the 11 per cent increase made in the infrastructure sector and said that it would augment job opportunities. It also praises the government’s focus on job providers instead of job seekers.
It is to be noted that earlier, while announcing the budget, Union Finance Minister Sitaraman informed that the Prime Minister (PM) SVANidhi, a flagship initiative focusing on street vendors, has extended credit to 78 lakh street vendors across the country.
Protest to include scheme workers under Social Security cover
It is to be noted that the BMS has been raising the issue of providing social security facilities to the unrecognised and scheme workers for a long time, and earlier, thousands of functionaries of the trade union had also gathered in support of the scheme workers, such as Aanganbadi, Asha, Mid-Day meal and NHA workers, at Jantar-Mantar of New Delhi on December 11, last year.
In the protest rally held, the union leaders, along with thousands of scheme workers had demanded increased basic pay structure and facilities such as social security for all the scheme workers associated with long operational schemes such as Aanganbadi, Asha, Mid-day Meal, and the National Health Mission (NHM).
A BMS delegation after the rally had also visited relevant ministries such as Women and Child Development, Health and Education Ministry and submitted a memorandum pertaining to their demands.
Working tirelessly towards safeguarding the rights of organised and unorganised workers across the state, the BMS is one of the largest trade union bodies in Bharat, founded by Dantopanth Thengadi in the year 1955.
