LABOUR WELFARE

After the attainment of Independence, the country beinc run as a welfare state, the government chalked out many schemes with a view to providing better facilities to the working class and, thus. creating a congenial atmosphere for a steady growth and development of production. The labour welfare programmes aim at providing benefits to the labour community such as guaranteeing minimum wages, social security like State Insurance of employees, security for old age, collective bargaining through the medium of recognised trade unions, medical and maternity facilities, regulated working hours, payment of bonus for incentive, payment of compensation, regulated wages, minimum standard of lighting, ventilation, safety canteens, recreation, leaves, holidays, housing, holiday homes etc.

The district falls in the Agra region of the State labour department At the district level, the labour inspector ensures the administration and compliance of labour laws, including prosecutions for their infringement, enforcement of labour welfare schemes and liaison between employees and employers in the district. The factories inspector also inspects factories under the Factories Act. Payment of Wages Act, etc. and takes necessary action against employers failing to comply with the laws. The Stats and Central governments have passed a number of legislations for the benefit of labour and their families and to protect their interests. The government took increasing interest in promoting the welfare of the labour class after Independence in 1947. Though bulk of labour legislations have been enacted thereafter the seven Acts (passed before 1947) viz.. the Indian Boilers Act, 1923. the Workmen's Compensation Act, 1923, the Indian Trade Unions Act, 1926, the Payment of Wages Act, 1936, the Employment of Children Act. 1938, the U. P. Maternity Benefits Act, 1947, and Industrial Employment (S.O.) Act. 1946. are still operating after being drastically amended from time to time to suit the changing pattern of the welfare schemes. The other Acts enacted after 1947 which are enforced in the district are the U.P. Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 providing for conciliation of disputes between employer: and employees. the Factories Act, 1948, the 1961, the U .P. Industrial Establishment (National Holidays) Act, 1961, the U. P. Dookan Evam Vaniiya Adhisthan Adhiniyam, 1962, and the Payment of Bonus Act, 1965.

In 1974, as many as 99 contraventions of the above Acts were detected, and 82 convictions ordered and Rs 4,500 were

realised as penalty. The Acts under which these prosecutions

were carried out are the U. P. Dookan Evam Vanijya Adhisthan Adhiniyam, 1962, and the Minimum Wages Act, 1948.

There are 55 boilers in the district. The boilers inspector ensures the compliance of the Indian Boilers Act, 1923 and not a single case of its contravention was detected in the year 1974.

Under the Workmen's Compensation Act, 1923. the workers or their dependents are given compensation on being involved in accident in the course of employment resulting in disablement or death. The amount of compensation awarded during the last five years is given below :

Fatal Cases Disablement Cases

No. of cases Amoimt of Amount of

paid (in Rs) paid (in Rs)

The scheme has been liberalised since January, 1972 and the rate of monthly pension has been raised to Rs 30. The benefits

of this scheme are not available to beggers mendicants and inmates of poor houses. The pension is sanctioned by the district officer. The following statement gives the number of persons benefited in each tahsil up to July 1975 :

Tahsil No. of persons benefited

Etawah 395

Bharthna 392

Bidhuna 270

Auraiya 454

PROHIBITION

Though the district is not a dry area, some steps have been taken to discourage addicts from indulging in drinks. Prohibition propaganda work is carried out with the assistance of the prohibition and social uplift officer, Kanpur. These workers hold public meetings and organize camps and stalls in the local fairs and exhibitions and distribute bills, posters and literature to the public and exhort the people to abstain from consuming intoxicants. The excise shops remain closed on every Tuesday and on principal festivals like Holi and Diwali etc.. and also on dates of important events like Independence Day and Mahatma Gandhi's birthday. Restrictions have also been imposed on the sale of ganja and opium. Ganja is issued to addicts on permits and opium is given to ration card holders only. However, an individual can possess two bottles of plain or spiced spirt and 120 grams of bhang at one time.

ADVANCEMENT OF THE SCHEDULED CASTES AND OTHER BACKWARD CLASSES

In 1950, the state Harijan sahayak department was set up to formulate and implement schemes for the welfare of the members of the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes and Criminal Tribes (now Known as denotified tribes). In 1957, a district Harijan welfare officer was posted in the district and his designation was changed to Harijan and social welfare officer in 1961. when the Harijan sahayak and social welfare departments were merged. His main functions are to watch the interests of the members of the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes and to implement the schemes formulated by the government for their welfare and the amelioration of their lot.

Members of the Scheduled Castes who were considered as not worth being cared about during the British rule had remained outcasts of the local society. Social workers have always striven to better their lot, but the alien government took little interest in their welfare. A half-hearted beginning was made in 1930 when a scheme was formulated for award of stipends to students belonging to the Scheduled Castes However, it was only with the attainment of Independence that concrete steps were taken for their amelioration. In 1947 the U.P. Removal of Social Disabilities Act

was passed which ensured to the members of such castes the unrestricted enjoyment of social and religious liberties. The Untouchability (Offences) Act, 1955, came into force in the State in June 1955. It has rendered the practice of untouch-ability, in any form, an offence punishable under the Act It repealed the corresponding State Act of 1947. The State government also threw open all avenues of employment to members of the Scheduled Castes and major steps were taken for their adequate representation in services. In 1944, the upper age limit for ' recruitment of Scheduled Castes candidates to civil posts was relaxed up to 3 years over the prescribed limit. In 1953, the reservation for the Scheduled Castes in government services was raised from 10 to 18 per cent In 1955, the upper age limit for the Scheduled Castes candidates was raised up to 5 years for gazetted posts as had already been done for non-gazetted posts in 1952. The government keep a watch over the progress in recruitment of the Scheduled Castes candidates to various posts and have time and again emphasised that the prescribed percentage for filling the post by the Scheduled Castes candidates must be achieved.

A district social welfare committee functions in the district whose chairman is the district magistrate. The vice-chairman and other non-official members are nominated by the government. It includes the members of legislature having the whole or part of their constituency in the district. The other official members of the committee are the district planning officer, district inspector of schools and the district Harijan and social welfare officer who acts as the secretary of the committee. The committee is an advisory body and it advises the Zila Parishad and other local bodies on matters pertaining to the welfare of the Scheduled Castes.

The government grants loans to the members of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes for various purposes such as agriculture, industries and construction of houses, etc. A portion of such loans is given as subsidy.

A sum of Rs 2.12,000 was spent on the construction of houses, Rs 58,000 on the construction of wells and providing drinking water facilities, Rs 95,500 as industrial grant and Rs 79,500

as agricultural grant during the period 1970-71 to 1974-75. The statement below gives the details of amount spent on educational facilities of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes students during the period 1972-73 to 1974-75 :

Heads of Expenditure Amount spent (in Rs)

Post matric scholarship 52,96,228

Post matric reimbursement of fees 45,000

Pre matric scholarship 9,97,450

Pre matric reimbursement of fees 22,05,000

Scholarship to handicapped students 5,383

CHARITABLE ENDOWMENTS

There are 9 registered trusts in the district which are endowed for charitable and educational purposes. Relevant particulars of some of the better known are given below :

Trust Dated of Annual income Objectives

foundation (in rupees)

Etawah Educational November 30, 1027 78 Scholarship to

Committee Scholarship students

Funds.

S.C. Pathak Scholarship May 27,1927 147

Endowment Trust

Lala Kunj Kishore Tandon February 9, 1926 47 _M

Sachawala Scholarship

Endowment Trust

Etawah District Military August 28 1946 3,920

Scholarship Endowment

Trust

Chaube Gur Narain April 5, 1923 — Maintenance of

Charitable Endowment hospital and

Trust industrial

technical school

Rani Mahalaxmi Bai June 5, 1932 — Maintenance?
Charitable Endowment of hospital
Trust, Lakhna

Chaudhri Badan Singh July 13, 1933 Maintenance of
Endowment Trust, Takha Darwin hospital.

Azeez Hasan — Meer Azeez Hasan Azadari during

Muharram

There are 82 Suntii waqfs in the district registered with the U. P. Sunni Central Board of
waqfs. The Statement below gives the details of important ones. _____ ___

Name of Waqf Date of Founder Nature of property Annual Objectives
Foundation endowed income

(in Rs.)

Mst.Hafeeiar , 24,621 Mst. Hafeeian House situated in Moh. 3.48B For the malnten-

^ Aurangalad ance of notquc

Masjid Punjabian — — House slluated in Moh. 1,131 v

Kstra Sewa Kali

Masjid Sheikh Jalal — Wall Mohd Khan House situated in Met). 2,039

Pfishi Kalan

Masjid Gudarl Qadeam _ — Four shops situated in 1.545 „

Moh. Katra Sawa Kail

Jama Masjid _ — Land and: 6 shops aitarhed 4,]M „
„ with mosque In Moh. Sarai

Satkh

Mrt. Waheedan 1.3.31 Mst Waheedan House situated in Moh. 2,092

Masoorabad

Welfare of Ex-servicemen

For the welfare of ex-servicemen, there is a District Soldiers', Sailor's and Airmen's Board in this district which was established in 1921. It works under the control and supervision of Director, Soldiers Welfare, U.P. The work of the Board in the district is supervised by a secretary who is a paid employee and mostly, an ex-servicemen. The Board, as else where, provides facilities to ex-servicemen and their families and assists in their rehabilitation. These facilities include pensions, scholarships, relief grants, employment medical treatment, settlement of accounts, permits for controlled commodities, settlement of disputed cases etc.

The statement below Rives the number of ex-servicemen who received help during the last five years :

No. of ex-servicemen who received help under the following heads:

*The date in bracket show the total quantity distributed.