UWIN Smart card for unorganized workers - Fusion - WeRIndia

Good news for unorganized workers in the country! Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to launch a smart card scheme for more than 40 crore unorganized workers in the country. These smart cards are aimed at giving better chances and opportunities for the workers. The cards are useful in giving various social security benefits like insurance and pension.

The Union Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya made this announcement at the launch of the Global Network Operations Centre of the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation in Delhi.

The minister said that Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi would launch this smart card scheme within a month. The card is called the ‘Unorganised Workers’ Identification Number’ (UWIN) card. The minister also added that with the help of the UWIN card, the government will be giving various social security options to all the people who are not covered by Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation or by Employees’ State Insurance Corporation.

According to the minister, this new move would take at least two years of time to issue the smart cards to all informal sector workers. There will be several phases for the whole scheme. In the first phase, the government is planning to launch 10 crore of the smart cards.

Furthermore, it is said that the UWIN card will be a chip-based instrument. It will be beneficial for these workers and also their family under Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY), Atal Pension Yojana, Aam Admi Bima Yojana (AABY), Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana.

When asked about the Centre’s plan to invest funds lying in dormant EPF account, the minister said the workers’ money is under their custody. He said that any worker can come and make a claim to his/her funds. These new smart cards add towards the whole ‘Digital India’ concept.

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