The Uttarakhand government today announced that it will give a monthly pension of Rs 150 to labourers who are over 60 years. According to Labour Minister Mr. Prakash Pant, Labourers, who become disabled due to some accident or ailment and are not in position to earn livelihood , will also be given a monthly pension of Rs 150 and a compensation of Rs 5000. If a labourer dies due to some accident on work, his family members will be given Rs 50,000, the minister said.

Under the scheme, in case of death due to natural reasons, the family will be given Rs 15,000. Besides, the labourers will be given an assistance of Rs 1000 for treatment of ailment and Rs 5000 for treatment of disability.

Although the new scheme appears quite benevolent; it's to be seen how effectively the govt manages to implement it. One of the possible bottlenecks to its effective implementation is -- How the Government is going to define a 'Labourer'. Broadly speaking, anyone who is putting physical labour in someone else's land or business can be called a 'labourer'. That apart, many of the beneficiaries will also be benefiting under the Old Age Pension scheme, making the new labourer scheme nothing more than a clever ploy.
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