India:TWRFS to provide relief to closed textile mills workers
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Natividad [2011-05-20]
The Union Government is implementing a scheme Textile Workers Rehabilitation Fund Scheme(TWRFS) to provide relief to workers of closed textile mills.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Textiles, Shri E.V.K.S. Elangovan, in the Lok Sabha, in a written reply to a question by Shri Asaduddin Owaisi.
The Minister further said that the Scheme has been in operation with effect from 15th September, 1986. It seeks to provide interim relief to textile workers rendered unemployed as a consequence of permanent closure of any particular portion or entire textile units.
Assistance under the Scheme is payable to eligible workers only for the purpose of enabling them to settle in another employment.
Such assistance is not heritable, transferable or capable of being attached on account of any other liabilities of the worker.
The worker's eligibility shall cease if he takes up employment in another registered or licensed undertaking. The rehabilitation assistance will not be curtailed if the worker fixes himself in a self-employment venture.
To avail the relief under this Scheme, any worker is eligible provided he/she has been engaged in a closed textile unit on the date of its closure continuously for five years or more and earning a wage equivalent of Rs. 2500 per month or less for the mills closed between 06.06.1985 to 01.04.1993 and Rs.3500 or less thereafter.
They should be contributing to provident fund maintained by the Regional Provident Fund Commissioner of the State concerned. He further stated the cooperation and assistance of the State Governments is crucial in smooth functioning of this Scheme.
The State Governments collect the details of the workers from the management/official liquidator/provident fund authorities etc and forward the same to the concerned regional office of the Textile Commissioner. The State Governments also certify the relief claiming application of the individual workers.