9,300 street vendors to get Rs 3,000 pension

Ramkrishan Upadhyay
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, February 27

In a major relief to them, over 9,300 street vendors will get a monthly pension of Rs 3,000 after the age of 60 as the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation has decided to implement the Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maandhan (PMSYM) scheme for unorganised sector workers under the age of 40 and earning up to Rs 15,000 every month. The MC is bringing the scheme for approval of the General House at its meeting to be held tomorrow.

The Centre had announced the scheme in the Budget. The scheme entails a minimum monthly pension of Rs 3,000 after the age of 60 to its beneficiaries. While the UT Administration has directed all departments to implement the scheme for eligible beneficiaries falling in their domain, the MC has been told to identify and implement the scheme for street vendors. The MC has around 9,300 registered street vendors.

The scheme will cover unorganised workers, who are working or engaged as home-based workers, street vendors, mid-day meal workers, head loaders, brick-kiln workers, cobblers, rag pickers, domestic workers, washermen, rickshaw-pullers, landless labourers, agricultural workers and construction workers among others. Only workers between the age of 18 and 40 can avail of the benefits of the scheme. Contribution from workers will change depending on the applicant’s age. Applicants at the age of 18 will have to contribute Rs 55, whereas workers at the age of 29 will pay Rs 100. Those in the upper age limit of 40 will have to pay Rs 220. The government will then contribute an equal amount as the workers. In case of permanent disability of a subscriber, his or her spouse will be entitled to continue with the scheme or exit by receiving the share of contribution with interest. In case of the death of a pensioner, his or her spouse shall be only entitled to receive 50 per cent of the pension.