Thoothukudki: One more welfare scheme for the benefit of the unorganised workers will be launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, according to the Union minister for Railways and Coal, Piyush Goyal.
Dedicating the 2x500 mw coal-fired power station of NTPL-a joint venture of the Neyveli Lignite Corporation India Limited (NLCIL) and Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Limited (Tangedco) in Thoothukudi and 200 MW solar power projects of NLCIL at Ramanathapuram and Virudhunagar districts at a function in Thoothukudi on Monday, Goyal listed the recently launched welfare schemes like the ‘Pradhan Manthri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana’ for the benefit of the small and medium farmers, creation of a separate department for fisheries, expansion of the Kisan credit scheme to fishermen and increasing the income tax exemption slab for the salaried class up to '5 lakh announced in the interim budget. The new schemes were introduced with the objective of helping the poor and the middle class in the country, he said.
“Yet another new scheme to ensure the social security of the unorganised workers in the country is to be launched by the Prime Minister tomorrow (Tuesday, March 5),” Goel said, adding, every worker in the unorganised sector would get a monthly pension of Rs 3,000 once the worker attained the age of 60.
“These welfare schemes are introduced by the Central government not as a favour or concession but to thank the farmers and working class people, who are the engine of growth of this nation,” said Piyush Goyal, adding, the country pins its hope upon farmers, workers and engineers for its development.
“Some others (referring to Congress leaders) however, try to make fun of our engineers of the Integral coach factory in Chennai for indigenously designing the Vande Bharath express train that was flagged off by the Prime Minister between New Delhi and Varanasi,” he said and accused those leaders of having no respect for the Indian engineers and they wanted imports from Italy. “I want to tell those leaders that our indigenously designed trains will be exported to Italy and we will never import anything from Italy,” said Goyal.
Piyush Goyal announced a special incentive of Rs 8,000 for each employee of the NTPL and Rs 3,000 each for contract workers and CISF Jawans of NTPL.
Union minister of state for shipping and finance, Pon Radhakrishnan, State minister for electricity, P. Thangamani, along with the MPs and MLAs and the employees and officers of NLC and NTPL were present at the function.
