Union Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatraya said that the Central Government proposes to bring some necessary amendments in the EPF Act
Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, Dattatraya said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to ensure “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikaas”. Therefore, he said that the Labour Ministry has been working for the welfare of labourers and different steps have been taken in this regard. He said that the Modi Government has resolved to undo all the past misdeeds of Congress rule and has come with out with a two-pronged strategy to liberate the hapless people, who are mostly from the disadvantaged segments of the society.
Dattatraya sadi that the Centre was revising the rehabilitation scheme and increasing the quantum of financial assistance from the symbolic level of Rs. 20,000 to a whopping amount of Rs. 3 lakh. “While the most disadvantaged like the disabled and the transgender will get Rs. 3 lakh, the next in order is the females and the minors who will now get Rs. 2 lakh. A normal adult male bonded labour will get Rs. 1 lakh,” he said.
Dattatraya also informed that this year the EPF interest rate has been fixed at 8.8%. He sad there nearly three crore EPF accounts and by next year all EFP accounts would be revived. He said all EPF account holders would be given a Universal Account Number which would enable them to get complete information on their mobile phones.
Speaking about Augusta Westland controversy, Dattatraya called it as second Bofors scam. He said that the Congress MPs were not allowing discussions in Rajya Sabha due to involvement of Nehru-Gandhi family in the scam. He accused the Nehru-Gandhi family of leaking sensitive defence information to the foreign firms. (INN)