Panchayat of Cycle Rickshaw and Handcart Pullers at C M ’s residence

• All those cycle rickshaw and handcart pullers of the state who pull hired rickshaw/handcart would be provided bank loan and grant under Swarn Jayanti Swarojgar Yojana to enable them to purchase their own rickshaws/handcarts by March 31,2009. About 20 thousand rickshaw pullers and an identical number of handcart puller will benefit from this.
• Under this scheme it is proposed to make available a rickshaw costing about Rs. 10 thousand to each rickshaw puller. Of this amount, Rs. 1500 would be given as grant and Rs 8 thousand as loan and Rs 500 would be shared by the beneficiary as his contribution.
• A handcart puller will get a handcart costing about Rs. 5 thousand. Of this amount, Rs 750 would be given as grant, Rs. 250 as beneficiary’s contribution and Rs. 4 thousand as bank loan.
• With a view to providing social security to rickshaw and handcart pullers a Chief Minister’s Rickshaw and Handcart Pullers Welfare Scheme would be launched. The scheme would have following provisions:-
• The wife of a registered rickshaw/handcart puller or a woman riskshaw/handcart puller would get wages of 6 weeks, and Rs one thousand cash to meet expenditure of delivery for two deliveries. The rickshaw puller would also get wages of 15 days as paternity leave.
• Scholarships would be provided to their wards. Meritorious students of their family would be conferred awards.
• Assistance of Rs. 6 thousand will be given for marriage of two daughters of them in mass marriages.
• In case a member of the family of a rickshaw/handcart puller falls ill, then expenditure on their treatment subject to maximum Rs. 20 thousand in a year will be reimbursed for treatment in a government hospital/health centre.
• In case of death of a family member of a registered puller, ex-gratia of Rs. 2 thousand would be provided.
• In case of normal death of a registered puller, Rs. 30 will be paid to the bereaved family, in case of an accidental death or permanent disability Rs. 75000 and in case of loss of one eye or one hand or one leg Rs. 37 thousand 500 under Janshri Insurance Scheme.
• Besides, scholarship of Rs. 100 per month would be given to two wards of the pullers studying in 9th to 12th classes.
• Registration of rickshaw and handcart pullers would be done by urban bodies in all urban areas in next three months. After registration identity cards would be issued to them so that they can get the benefit of different welfare schemes of the government.
• Rikshaw stands would be made in the urban areas where cycle rickshaws ply. The rickshaw stands will be near bus stands, railway stations, hospital, vegetable markets/markets.
• A committee of technical experts would be constituted to develop a sophisticated design of cycle rickshaw. The committee would comprise the Director General of Madhya Pradesh Council of Science and Technology, Managing Director of Urja Vikas Nigam and representatives of Rajiv Gandhi Praudyogiki Vishwavidyalaya. The committee would give its report on how rickshaw pulling can be made easier and use of alternate sources of energy.
• January 31 will be observed as Handcart and Rickshaw Pullers Day.