Chandigarh, Feb 7 (IANS): Taking another welfare step for labourers, the Punjab government, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, on Friday announced to abolition of the two-year service condition for labourers to avail stipend schemes for their children.

Disclosing this here, state Labour Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond said that this step would be immensely beneficial for labourers as earlier, the condition of two-year service was mandatory.

He said that the decision was taken in the 55th meeting of the Punjab Labour Welfare Board.

Noting that the board’s stipend schemes provide monetary assistance for education to the children of labourers, the minister pointed out that the labourers could get the benefit of the stipend scheme from the day of making contributions.

A slew of significant initiatives have also been taken in the meeting, including the dissemination of information regarding schemes at the grassroots. Sond said that a budget of Rs 2 crore had been passed for awareness activities and holding camps including Rs 1 crore for awareness activities and Rs 1 crore for holding camps at the work sites for the welfare of labourers.

The minister also stated that the condition of the registered marriage certificate to get the benefit of the Shagun scheme had also done away with. He said now labourers could avail the benefit of the Shagun scheme by submitting photographs of the religious place and the religious personalities, who got the marriages solemnised. With this decision, the labourers will not have to face problems in getting a registered marriage certificate, he added.

The minister also directed to hold a quarterly meeting of the Punjab Labour Welfare Board. It was also decided that the fund contribution amount will be increased from April 1 so as to further improve the financial health of the board.