Social security and welfare programmes of beedi workers in India -An analysis

Beedi rolling is essentially a rural and home-based labour intensive industry, which provides employment to about 55 lakh workers mainly in the country. The beedi industry is one of the largest employers of workers in India, after agriculture, handloom and construction. However, the estimates of the numbers of beedi workers engaged in this industry vary depending on who is making the estimates. Beedi workers are largely poor, illiterate and unskilled. Although beedi rolling has been identified as a hazardous occupation by labour authorities, the health and working conditions of beedi workers has not been in the forefront of public consciousness. The India's Ministry of Labour estimates about 4.4 million workers in the beedi rolling industry, majority of who are home based women workers. Women constitute a very high percentage of labour force in the industry. In this background, the present study is set for the following objectives. Firtsly, to study the historical perspective of Beedi Industry and secondly, to study the social security and welfare programmes on beedi workers. Welfare Fund for Beedi Workers has certainly offered both financial help and psychological succour to beedi workers all over the country; the scope for improvement in efficiency and administration of the schemes is considerable and needs to be initiated without any loss of time.