Samajik Suraksha Yojana/SSY- A Social Security For Unorganised Sectors

Samajik Suraksha Yojana or SSY is a scheme that every state would be proud of. This yojana has been evolved as the best flagship scheme in providing Social Security to the un-organised sectors. The Government of West Bengal had started this Samajik Suraksha Yojana or SSY way back in 2017.

The Finance Minister, Government of West Bengal in his Budget speech 2020 declared 5 new schemes pertaining to Samajik Suraksha Yojana or SSY which would open a new era for the reformation of the social sectors across West Bengal.

In this post, you would learn about Samajik Suraksha Yojana or SSY, SSY Online Application, SSY form and many other crucial points.

⇒ What is Samajik Suraksha Yojana or SSY?

Samajik Suraksha Yojana or SSY is a scheme for social reforms of the un-organised sectors across West Bengal. The main aim of this scheme is to provide social security to all the workforces across the state. The workers of any nation are considered as the driving force of the economy.

Considering the sole interests of the workers, this yojana aims to provide for:-

financial stability, restoration of fundamental rights and ensuring a degree of income security when faced with the contingencies of old age, survivorship, incapacity, disability, bringing up children, gender disparity, curative or preventive medical care and empowerment.

Therefore, in order to eradicate old age problems, fight with life struggle, physical disability, incapacity, child upbringing, providing curative or preventive medical care and bringing economic empowerment, the Govt. of West Bengal consolidated all other existing schemes and introduced one and only “Samajik Suraksha Yojana” or “SSY” uniformly.

⇒ What are the New 5 Schemes under Samajik Suraksha Yojana or SSY?

In his budget speech for FY 2020, the Finance Minister has declared 5 new schemes in relation to Samajik Suraksha Scheme or SSY for the unorganised workers. The schemes are as follows:

1. Bandhu Scheme– for Scheduled Caste;
2. Jai Johar Scheme– for Scheduled Tribe;
3. Bina Mulya Samajik Suraksha Scheme– for unorganised workers;
4. Chaa Sundari- for tea garden workers;
5. Hasir Alo- free electricity for the poorest;

1. “Bandhu Scheme” under Samajik Suraksha Yojana/SSY

This “Bandhu scheme” is solely meant for the Scheduled Caste(SC) communities across West Bengal. This is a pension scheme for those SC people who are not covered under any other pension schemes. This scheme would benefit around 21 Lakh people of this category.

Under this scheme, 100% people of scheduled caste communities having age more than 60 years, would get an old-age pension of ₹1,000/- per month. This scheme has been designed for the 100% people fulfilling the above criteria only.

For this Bandhu scheme, the Government has allocated ₹2,500/- Crore for the F.Y 2020-21. So, Budget 2020 has made some beneficial provision for this community.

2. ” Jai Johar Scheme ” under Samajik Suraksha Yojana/SSY

This “Jai Johar scheme” is solely meant for the Scheduled Tribes(ST) and Adivasi communities across West Bengal. This is a pension scheme for those ST, Adivasi people who are not covered under any other pension schemes. This scheme would benefit around 4 Lakh people of this category.

Under this scheme, 100% people of the scheduled tribe and Adivasi communities having age more than 60 years, would get an old-age pension of ₹1,000/- per month. This scheme has been designed for the 100% people fulfilling the above criteria only.

For this Jai Johar scheme, the Government has allocated ₹500/- Crore for the F.Y 2020-21. So, Budget 2020 has made some beneficial provision for this community.

3. ” Bina Mulya Samajik Suraksha Yojana “/Scheme (SSY free of cost)

There are millions of workers engaged in building construction works, transport and other un-organised sectors who are getting various benefits free of cost under the Samajik Suraksha Yojana since 2017. These benefits so availed by the workers are like:-

Compensation for accidental death or disability, medical health facilities, the grant for the higher education of the children and many more under the Samajik Suraksha Yojana or SSY.

Also, under this SSY scheme, the workers of the un-organised sectors get the benefits of Provident Fund. They deposit ₹25/- as a monthly contribution and the West Bengal Govt. also deposits matching contribution of ₹30/- per month.

As a result of this, the workers can withdraw the full amount along with interests on attaining the age of 60 years or upon the death of the beneficiary or discontinuation from the scheme. The interest rate so provided under this scheme is at par with the General Provident Fund.

The Finance Minister, Govt. of West Bengal has declared in his Budget speech that he is going to replace this existing Samajik Suraksha Yojana by introducing the new Bina Mulya Samajik Suraksha Yojana effective from 01.04.2020.

Under this new scheme the Bengal Govt. would pay for the provident fund monthly contribution of both ₹30/– and ₹25/– respectively. This means the contribution of ₹25/– per month of the beneficiary would be borne by the Govt. itself.

Thus, under the Bina Mulya Samajik Suraksha Yojana, the provident fund benefits for the unorganised sector workers are completely free. The entire cost is now borne by the Govt. on and from 01.04.2020. The workers are now not required to pay any amount for getting the Provident Fund benefit.

This step of the Government would help 1.5 Crore families across the West Bengal. For this purpose, the Government has allocated additional ₹500/- Crore for the F.Y 2020-21.

4. ” Chaa Sundari ” under Samajik Suraksha Yojana/Scheme

In West Bengal, there is 370 tea garden in totality and approximately there are 3 Lakh permanent workers engaged in this industry. Out of this, almost 50% of the workers are female and the majority of them belong to the tribal communities.

The WB Govt. has already started distributing rice to these tea garden workers @ ₹2/- per kg. Not only this but also, the state Govt. has taken various initiatives like free electricity, medical facilities, mid-day meal scheme for their school-going child and many other alike schemes for them.

It has also come to the notice of the Govt. that there are many workers who don’t have sufficient money to buy a house in their own name. They are not in a position to construct a house with their own money due to the poor economic conditions. Keeping in view this situation the Govt. has introduced a scheme called Chaa Sundari scheme.

Under this scheme, the Govt. will provide funds for the construction of houses for these homeless permanent tea garden workers within the next three years. For this Govt. has allocated ₹500/- Crore for the F.Y 2020-21.

5. ” Hasir Alo ” under Samajik Suraksha Yojana/Scheme

With a view to making 100% electrification across the state of West Bengal, the Govt. has provided affordable electricity at a very low cost for the poor section of the society. Though, very low cost, but the poorest of the poor are finding it very difficult to pay for the electricity bills.

Keeping that condition in mind, the Govt. has introduced Hasir Alo scheme for the poorest section called Life Line Consumer whose quarterly electricity consumption does not exceed 75 units. Under this scheme, free electricity will be provided by the Govt. whose quarterly electricity consumption does not exceed 75 units.

Around 35 Lakh families will be benefitted by this scheme. For this, the Govt. has decided to allocate an amount of ₹200/- Crore for the F.Y 2020-21.

You may want to read the following:

⇒ Samajik Suraksha Yojana(SSY) Benefits/ Samajik Suraksha Yojana facility

It has been a continuous endeavour of the Government to introduce one yojana which will cater all the basic needs of the low-income groups across the state. This gave birth to the flagship yojana named as Samajik Suraksha Yojana i.e. Social Security Scheme for the needy people on and from 03.04.2017.

As per the recent report for the WB Labour Ministry, a whopping 1.10 Crore workers across various unorganised sectors have been enrolled under this Samajik Suraksha Yojana(SS) as of now. For this, the Govt. has incurred an amount of ₹1,530/- Crore till date under this scheme.

Within the ambit of this yojana, the Govt. has mainly focused to address the following needs of the unorganised sector workers such as:

Provident Fund, Health & Family Welfare, Death and Disability, Education, organising Training and Skill Development programme.

Provident Fund: This is a form of income security fund into which the workers contribute a fixed sum i.e ₹25/- per month from their earnings and the government also contributes a matching contribution of fixed sum i.e ₹30/- per month along with interest.

As per budget 2020, the workers are now not required to pay any amount for this Provident Fund scheme. This is absolutely free from 01.04.2020 and the state Govt. will bear the entire cost.

The money in the fund is then paid to the workers on attaining 60 years of age after which the worker is normally unable to continue to earn income or engage elsewhere.

State Government had introduced the Provident Fund scheme for the unorganised workers in the year 2001 and now it is extended to all the unorganised workers, construction workers and transport workers under this Yojana.

⇒ Who are eligible under this Samajik Suraksha Yojana(SSY)?

The following beneficiaries are eligible to get benefits under this yojana or scheme:

1. All wage employed and self-employed unorganised workers aged between 18 years to 60 years in the following sectors: a). 46 unorganised industries, b). 15 self-employed occupations,

2. Construction workers for Building and other construction workers enrolled under West Bengal Building and Other Construction Workers including workers engaged in Brick Kiln, Stone breaking and crushing,

3. Transport workers as defined in West Bengal Transport Workers’ Social Security Scheme,2010, and registered therein,

4. Those workers who are already registered under the Provident Fund Scheme, they are required to fill up and submit an application in Form I to get benefits under the Samajik Suraksha Yojana(SSY),

5. Construction workers and Transport workers already registered under their respective schemes are now required to submit an application in Form I to get benefits under the Samajik Suraksha Yojana(SSY),

All the workers registered under the SSY will be given a Samajik Mukti Smart Card for transferring respective benefits to their account.

⇒ Samajik Suraksha Yojana Online Form Fillup / SSY Online Application Process

The SSY online Application procedure or Samajik Suraksha Yojana Online Form Fillup is very simple. The whole process has been designed very simplistically keeping in view the perspective of the beneficiaries.

You are required to follow the below steps one by one for SSY Online Application carefully.

⇒ Steps for SSY Online Application:

Step-1: First you need to visit the Official Website of Labour Department(www.ssy.wblabour.gov.in), Government of West Bengal.

Step-2: Next click anywhere on the screen as being displayed in the website.

Step-3: Now click on ‘Quick Application’ tab in the Home page as shown above.

Step-4: Now you will be redirected to the following screen

Just click on ‘NO‘ in the above-shown screen and proceed and you will be redirected to the below screen for your worker status and fill it up accordingly.

After putting information as per above screen now click on Continue.

Step-5: Now you will be redirected to Beneficiary Details Tab as per the below screen. There you just put all your personal details and tick the rules and regulation box and finally click on the ‘Submit’ button.

Step-6: Now in the below screen put your nominee or dependent status and proceed further.

Step-7: Now after putting all your information just click on the ‘Submit’ button finally.

Step-8: Noy you will receive one acknowledgement on the screen after submitting the application form. So, your SSY Online Application process is completed.

You can check the following links for different forms for downloads.

Samajik Suraksha Yojana form 1 Download Here

Samajik Suraksha Yojana form 5 Download Here

Samajik Suraksha Yojana application form pdf

Samajik Suraksha Yojana 2017 Notification

Samajik Suraksha Yojana in Bengali