Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Suraksha Yojana scheme for Indian workers launched in Dubai

Gandhi Pravasi Suraksha Yojana, a pension and life insurance fund scheme for blue-collar Indian workers in UAE was launched by the Union Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs, Vyalar Ravi in Dubai on 28 October 2013.

The scheme will cover 5 million overseas blue collar Indian workers who have the Emigration Clearance Required (ECR) category passports in 17 countries. ECR passports are issued to those workers who have not passed Grade 10. Around 65 per cent of more than two million Indians in the UAE are blue collar workers and most of them are in the ECR category.

Blue collar jobs are pertaining to wage-earning workers who wear work clothes or other specialized clothing on the job, as mechanics, longshoremen, and miners.

About Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Suraksha Yojana

1.Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Suraksha Yojana (MGPSY), a special social security scheme for overseas Indian workers on temporary work permit in 17 Emigration Check Required (ECR) countries.

2.The MGPSY is aimed at helping the workers to save money for their retirement, their return to India and resettlement and provides life insurance cover against natural death during the period of coverage.

3.It provides home and a life insurance cover for 1 lakh rupees during their work abroad.

4.The Government of India will contribute up to 2000 rupees every year for male workers and 3000 rupees every year to women workers for up to either five years or until the worker returns home, whichever is earlier.

5.It will be added to the Pension and Life Insurance (PLIF) account of each eligible subscriber.

6.The workers have to contribute between 1000 rupees and 12000 rupees per annum towards the pension fund and 4000 rupees towards the return and resettlement fund. They will derive corresponding benefits when they go back home and during their old age.

7.Indian Workers Resource Centre or IWRC is the support center for Indian workers in the UAE while Bank of Baroda is the official banking partner of the scheme to enroll the workers.