MP Cycle-Rickshaw and handcart pullers to be owners

The Chief Minister, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that it would be the endeavour of the state government to extend all the necessary basic facilities to the cycle-rickshaw and handcart pullers of the state along with maintaining their dignity and honour. All the municipal corporations, municipalities and nagar panchayats would earmark the place for cycle-rickshaw and handcart pullers to park their rickshaws and handcarts in their respective areas.
Further, loan and subsidy would be provided to them under the Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana in the next one year so that they could be the owners of their livelihood means. Also, the urban civic bodies would complete the process of registration of all the cycle-rickshaw and handcart pullers in the next three months and subsequently identity cards would be distributed to them.
Moreover, like the other workers, cycle-rickshaw and handcart pullers would too be extended benefits of various schemes such as maternity assistance, marriage assistance, medical treatment assistance, insurance scheme and education assistance scheme.

The Chief Minister, Shri Chouhan made these announcements while addressing a state level Panchayat of Cycle-rickshaw and Handcart Pullers drawn from all the districts of the state at his official residence here today. Shri Chouhan announced that January 31 would be observed every year as Cycle-rickshaw and Handcart Pullers Day.
The day would remind us to review the steps taken towards welfare of this section of the society. He observed that rickshaw pulling involves a great deal of Labour. Old age cycle-rickshaw pullers experience difficulty in rickshaw pulling. Keeping this in view, the state government would invite suggestions from the scientists to help manufacture a battery operated cycle-rickshaw.
The Chief Minister Shri Chouhan said that the state government was committed to help remove the financial difficulties of cycle-rickshaw and handcart pullers. With this objective, this state level Panchayat has been organised. Shri Chouhan said that he himself was observing the difficulties of cycle-rickshaw and handcart pullers for a long time.
Often, these pullers are faced with a lot of difficulties in taking care of their families with very low wages they earn. Many a times, cycle-rickshaw and handcart owners refuse to give cycle-rickshaw to the pullers due to non-receipt of rent. This is very much disgusting, the Chief Minister lamented. The state government is initiating steps to improve the economic lot and restore their dignity, he asserted.
The Chief Minister Shri Chouhan proclaimed that on receipt of complaint with regard to manhandling of rickshaw pullers and handcart pullers by the policemen, strict action would be taken against them. Such an arrangement would be made that cycle-rickshaw and handcart pullers can park their rickshaws and handcarts in the rickshaw stands with all the basic facilities such as shed, drinking water and sanitation.
These stands would be constructed near the public places such as railway station, main market, bus-stand and hospital so that the rickshaw pullers could get passengers smoothly and handcart pullers could transport the goods. The Chief Minister said that on issuance of identity cards to these pullers, they would be relieved of routine checking of the regulatory agencies. On the other hand, these identity cards would help them in seeking the benefits of various welfare schemes of the state government.
The Chief Minister Shri Chouhan spelt out about the new schemes which are likely to be introduced in the larger interests of cycle-rickshaw and handcart pullers. On this occasion, he welcomed the rickshaw and handcart pullers drawn from all over the state.
In his address, the Urban Administration and Development Minister Shri Babulal Gaur said that never before such an event was organised by any chief minister to improve the socio-economic lot of the deprived and oppressed classes of society. Shri Gaur said that the pace of developing hawkers zone in each town would be accelerated.
Earlier, the cycle-rickshaw and handcart pullers from various districts of the state gave an account of the practical difficulties they come across everyday.
The former chief minister Shri Sunderlal Patwa; Member of Parliament Shri Kailash Joshi; Minister of State for Woman and Child Development, Smt. Ranjana Baghel; Chairman, Shri Babulal Jain; Urban Administration and Development Principal Secretary, Shri Raghav Chandra; Principal Secretary, Social Justice, Smt. Tinu Joshi; Commissioner, Urban Administration, Shri S.N. Mishra and other senior concerning officers were also present on the occasion.

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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.
  

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