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The Labour & Employment Minister, Shri K. Chandrasekhar Rao has called for a positive work culture and appropriate as well as congenial ambience at the workplace. In his speech (read in absentia) at a function to give away Vishwakarma Rashtriya Pursakars and National Safety Awards here today, Shri Rao said that attainment of safety and health at work is fundamental to economic growth and progress of the country. "Social justice cannot be achieved without safe and healthy working conditions and in the absence of adequate social security", the Minister added.
28 Vishwakarma Rashtriya Puraskars and 102 National Safety Awards for 2004 were given away by the Labour Secretary Shri K.M. Sahni to Workers/ Managements of Factories, Industries and Docks whose innovative suggestions have led to savings worth around Rs. 1700 crore. Felicitating the awardees, Sh. Sahni appealed to industrial establishments to introduce worker-participative schemes in a big way to harness the hidden potential of our work force at plant level. He said that in order to motivate more and more workers and companies in the two schemes, the government has enhanced from 2004 onwards the number of awards for Vishwakarma Rashtriya Purasakar from 18 to 28 and National Safety Awards from 76 to 102.
Vishwakarma Rashtriya Puraskars included five in Class ‘A’ category, eight in Class ‘B’ and fifteen in Class ‘C’ category. These awards are given each year to workers for their innovative suggestions leading among other things to cost reduction, higher productivity, import substitution and improved efficiency of the organisation. During 2004, the implementation of suggestions of workers resulted in savings of over Rs. 657.49 crore including a recurring savings of Rs. 150.58 crore. In addition significant foreign exchange savings worth Rs. 1072.14crore was saved. This includes foreign exchange saving of Rs. 834.29 crore on recurring basis.
The awards scheme is operated by Ministry of Labour and Employment to provide public recognition to outstanding achievements of workers at the national level. The scheme is in operation since 1965. Each Class ‘A’ category Vishwakarma National award known as ‘Pratham Shreni Puraskar’ carries Rs. 50,000/- as prize money, followed by class "B" or ‘Dwitiya Shreni Puraskar’ carrying Rs. 25,000/- and Class "C" or ‘Tritiya Shreni Puraskar’ of Rs. 10,000/-. Of the top five Vishwakarma Puraskars, one award has been bagged by two workers belonging to Army Base Workshop and another award by three workers belonging to BHEL, while the remaining three awards have been shared by 5 workers each of Hindalco Industries Ltd., Bhilai Steel Plant and Vishakapatnam Steel Plant.
102 National Safety Awards were given to industrial undertakings for good safety performance and also to sustain interest of both management and workers in accident prevention programmes. Two types of safety awards are given – one based on lowest average frequency rate of accidents and the other for longest accident free period. These awards are given to three types of factories in which working ranges between 10 lakh man hours and more to a minimum of one lakh man hours during the year of the contest period. Two types of safety awards are also conferred to employers in ports based on lowest average frequency rate of accidents in cargo handling on ships and on shore during last three years ending in the performance year. Each award carries a shield for the winner and a cup for the runner and a merit certificate. The National Safety Awards are also in operation since 1965.
MLD:LK: L-117( Vishwakerma Awards) September 17
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