Odisha Labour Welfare Board Proposes Major Reforms for Worker Welfare at Third Board Meeting

Bhubaneswar: In a strong show of commitment to worker welfare and inclusive governance, the third meeting of the Odisha Labour Welfare Board was held today at the Department of Labour and Employees’ State Insurance’s conference hall in Kharavela Bhawan. Chairing the meeting, Minister of Labour and ESI, Ganesh Ram Singh Khuntia, emphasized that the nation’s prosperity is built on the shoulders of its labour force, and Odisha’s progress is inextricably linked to the dignity, protection, and empowerment of its workers.

Addressing the gathering, Khuntia described workers as the real nation builders and reiterated that a state like Odisha, rich in labour resources, must prioritize policies that uplift its working class. “Our government stands firmly on the pillars of service, dedication, and good governance, ensuring that every welfare scheme reaches the last person in the queue,” he said. He urged officials to intensify their efforts on the ground, focusing on the legal and social rights of lakhs of workers across Odisha.

Vice Chairperson of the Board and Principal Secretary of the Labour and ESI Department, Chitra Arumugam, highlighted recent initiatives undertaken for worker welfare. She informed that the state has restructured the Workers Welfare Board to better address the needs of the organised sector and called on industry stakeholders to participate sincerely in government schemes while ensuring timely contributions to the fund. She also urged greater awareness among workers to access these welfare measures effectively.

Labour Commissioner Indramani Tripathi opened the session with a detailed presentation on the vision and functioning of the Board. He highlighted the development of the Pareshram portal (pareshram-labour.odisha.gov.in), launched by the Labour and ESI Department to deliver streamlined, automated services under various labour laws. The portal offers functionalities including registration, updates, closure notifications, and annual contributions, strengthening the state’s digital infrastructure for labour governance.

As per Rule 5 of the Odisha Labour Welfare Fund Rules, 2015, employers are required to contribute ₹40 and employees ₹20 each. With a current corpus of ₹34.48 crore, the fund is earmarked for a range of welfare schemes. During the meeting, the Board proposed a series of transformative measures aimed at supporting workers’ families, including:

• A one-time scholarship of ₹1 lakh to meritorious children of contributing employees for pursuing professional courses in reputed government institutions such as IITs, NITs, IIMs, AIIMS, IISc, and NISER.

• A grant of ₹50,000 for those admitted to other nationally recognized institutions through common entrance examinations.

• Financial assistance of ₹10,000 or more to differently-abled children pursuing higher education.

• Incentives of ₹10,000 or more for children scoring above 90% in Class 10 or 12 examinations.

• Compensation of ₹50,000 in case of natural death and ₹1 lakh in case of accidental death of contributing employees.

The meeting was attended by senior government officials and representatives from major industries and workers’ unions. Among them were ESI Director Madhumita Nayak, Additional Secretary Rajesh Agarwal, and officials from the Finance, Industries, Higher Education, and Women and Child Development departments. Representatives from NALCO, Tata Steel, Infosys, Jindal Steel, Apollo Hospitals, IFFCO, JK Paper, and leaders from trade unions including INTUC, Hind Mazdoor Sangh, CITU, AICCTU, and AIUTUC also presented their suggestions for the betterment of workers’ welfare.