Welfare
of SCs/STs
SC/ST Cell
In accordance with the policy
of the Government of India, an SC/ST cell is functioning
in the Department of Commerce. A Liaison Officer
is nominated in the Department and in each of
the organizations under the Department. So far
as services and posts in the Department and organizations
under its administrative control are concerned,
none of the posts has got exempted from the purview
of the reservation orders. The Liaison Officer
examines and rectifies, wherever necessary, the
reservation rosters maintained by the various
organizations for ensuring representation to SC/ST/OBC
in service. The Liaison Officer also provides
relevant guidelines to the officers in the Department
of Commerce, its attached and subordinate offices
and Public Sector Undertakings, in accordance
with the instructions issued by the Department
of Personnel and Training (DOP&T) from time
to time. The Cell is also looking after the work
regarding implementation of the Government Orders
in respect of reservation for Other Backward Classes
(OBCs) to the extent of 27 % in direct recruitment.
A statement showing total number
of Government employees and the number of SC/ST/OBC
as on 31.12.2007 in the Department of Commerce,
its subordinate offices, Public Sector Undertakings
and semi-autonomous bodies etc. is attached at
Annexure.
The Commodity Boards under the
administrative control of the Department of Commerce
have certain specific schemes under special tribal
plans, which are operated with a view to supplementing
the efforts of the Government in improving the
socio-economic conditions of the SC/ST in the
non-traditional areas. The welfare activities
undertaken by different organisations attached
to the Department are given below:-
Rubber
Board, Kottayam
The various schemes operated by the Rubber Board
for the welfare of SC/ST category of growers during
2007-08 are:
- An amount of Rs. 6.98 lakhs was disbursed
to 93 SC/ST tappers employed in the unorganized
sectors under the housing and sanitary assistance
scheme.
-
Cash Assistance was given
under Rubber Plantation Development Scheme.
In the traditional areas, the cash assistance
is Rs. 12000/- per hectare, which was disbursed
to 280 beneficiaries amounting to Rs. 2 lakhs.
Similarly in the non-traditional area the
cash assistance is Rs 16000/- upto 5 hectare,
Rs. 12000/- for 5 to 20 hectares. For the
North-Eastern region, the assistance is Rs
20000/- up to 5 hectare and Rs. 16000/- for
5-20 hectares. A total amount of Rs.121 lakhs
was disbursed to 3568 beneficiaries
-
A total amount of Rs.
19.74 lakhs was disbursed to 1389 beneficiaries
as reimbursement of cost for high yielding
planting material.
-
Assistance of Rs 6.95
lakhs was provided to 512 beneficiaries for
boundary protection fencing material for rubber
plantation.
-
375 persons were given
fee concession for training in rubber cultivation,
tapping, processing and manufacturing.
-
Total area of 114.90 hectare
was planted under Block Plantation Project
in non-traditional areas for the benefit of
tribal communities with active participation
of concerned State Governments. 193 persons
were benefited in this scheme. Similarly,
in traditional area 380.09 hectare was planted
under Tribal development for the benefit of
1161 persons.
Tea Board
Tea sector provides livelihood
in remote and rural areas. The workforce possesses
no skills other than plucking green leaf and is
mostly landless belonging to SCs/ STs. The various
schemes operated by the Tea Board for the welfare
of SC/ST category of growers during 2007-08 are:
- Under the Development Scheme for Small
Growers, input cost @ Rs. 10,000/- per hectare
is provided to 12,000 SC and 1700 ST growers.
-
Training on Plantation
Management has been given to Small Tea growers
wherein 700 SC and 75 ST were beneficiaries
of it. An honorarium @ Rs. 500/- per month
is given to each trainee for a period of six
months.
-
A subsidy for new planting
amounting to Rs. 19.77 lakh has been given
to 35 SC and 7 ST growers.
-
A subsidy of Rs. 56.07
lakh was given to Eight Self-help Groups through
which 65 SC and 39 ST were benefitted.
-
Under the Labour Welfare
Scheme, 69 SC and 39 ST students were given
Educational Stipend.
-
The beneficiaries of the
Scheme for Capital Grant for Construction
of Schools/ Colleges are garden workers of
which 65% belong to SC/ ST categories.
- During the year, 18 SC and 4 ST employees
have got promotion and 3 SC employees have been
given new appointment.
Coffee Board
SC/ST cell headed by the Liaison
Officer is functioning in the Board to redress
the grievances of the SC/ST employees. Reservations
as applicable under the post-based reservation
system have been followed in the case of SCs/STs/OBCs.
Spices Board
The Board has implemented the
post-based reservations roster and the instructions
issued by the government are followed properly
in the case of SC/ST/OBC. SC/ST members are included
in the Selection committees wherever required.
The Board is also maintaining reservations roster
for persons with disabilities as per the directions
of the Court of Chief Commissioner for persons
with Disabilities, New Delhi.
The Board has been implementing
a number of programmes for productivity improvement
of small and large cardamom and post harvest improvement
of other spices under “Export Oriented Production
Scheme”. Under the scheme, no programmes
are envisaged exclusively for Scheduled Caste
and Scheduled Tribe farmers. However, the SC/
ST farmers are eligible for higher rate of subsidy
in the following programmes being implemented
during the XI plan period:
- Construction of Drying Yard – Subsidy
of 90% of the cost or maximum of Rs. 540/-
per sq. m for ST and 50% cost or maximum of
Rs. 300/- sq.m for SC
- Supply of HDPE Polythene Sheets - Subsidy
of 50% of the cost for ST.
- Supply of Bamboo Mats - Subsidy of 90%
of the cost for ST.
Agricultural
& Processed Food Products Export Development
Authority (APEDA)
The schemes operated by APEDA
for the welfare of SC/ST category during 2007-08
are:
- Group A and B officers of SC/ST categories
were sent for various promotional schemes
abroad for gaining higher expertise in their
field.
- Group C incumbents of SC/ST categories
were as far as possible sent for training
in the course conducted by Institute of Secretariat
Training Management (ISTM).
Marine Products
Export Development Authority (MPEDA)
A Liaison Officer has been appointed
to look into the welfare of SCs/ STs. Any representations
made by the SCs/STs are duly considered. SCs/STs
are also being encouraged to come up in the competitive
examinations and meritorious candidates belonging
to SCs/STs categories are also considered against
the unreserved vacancies. During the year, 5 days
training programme in shrimp and scampi culture
for 200 SC/ST candidates was organized. A stipend
of Rs.500/- per person per training was given.
PEC Limited
The various schemes operated
by the PEC Ltd for the welfare of SC/ST category
during 2007-08 are:
- There is a welfare scheme under which merit
scholarship is given to the wards of the employees
securing certain percentage of marks in the
annual examination. In this scheme, the wards
of SC/ST employees are given merit scholarship
with relaxed standard.
- There exists a Time Scale Promotion Scheme
for staff cadre. Qualifying period for promotion
for employees belonging to SC & ST categories
is relaxed by one year in each stage of promotion.
- The limits of reimbursement of conveyance
expenses to Orthopaedically handicapped employees,
who do not possess their own vehicle and are
using any other mode of conveyance, are double
the normal rates being paid in PEC or Transport
allowance being paid to central govt. employees,
whichever is higher.
- For Group B&C, the promotion policy
is time bound where a relaxation of one year
at all the level in the number of qualifying
years of service has been provided to the
employees with disability vis-à-vis
general category employee
State Trading
Corporation of India (STC) Limited
The various schemes operated
by the STC for the welfare of SC/ST category during
2007-08 are:
- One-year relaxation is given to SC/ST employees
in the qualifying period of service at each
stage of promotion under the Time Bound Promotion
Policy in the unionized cadres i.e. up to
Office Manager (Group-B).
- A relaxation of 5% in marks is allowed
to the wards of SC/ST employees while considering
for grant of merit scholarship.
- Reservation for SC/ST employees is kept
in allotment of residential apartments maintained
by the Corporation at New Delhi.
- Nomination of SC/ST employees to various
training programmes (including awareness programmes)
held both in house and outside.
- In the matters of transfer, Manager having
All India Cadre (Transfer liability) and are
having more than 60 % disability have been
allowed to continue at their preferred station.
India
Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO)
- In every Departmental Promotion/ Selection
Committee meeting, an officer of appropriate
level belonging to SC/ST category is being
associated to look after the interest of SCs/STs.
The provisions of the Persons with Disabilities
(Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights
and Full Participation) Act 1995 are also
being complied with.
Indian Institute
of Foreign Trade (IIFT)
The schemes operated by IIFT
for the welfare of SC/ST category during 2007-08
are:
- One-faculty members belonging to OBC category
was nominated to participate in seminar to
upgrade his knowledge.
- Two SC employees were also nominated to
participate in a workshop to upgrade their
knowledge.
MMTC Limited,
New Delhi
The various schemes operated
by the MMTC Ltd. for the welfare of SC/ST category
during 2007-08 are:
- Trainings in various functional areas of
work were imparted to 1348 employees out of
whom 303 employees belong to SC/ST categories.
- Under the MMTC Employees’ Welfare
Scheme, a relaxation of 5% in marks is allowed
to the wards of SC/ST employees while considering
for grant of merit scholarship. There is a
provision for reservation in the allotment
of residential quarters to SC/ST employees.
- For effective communication and redressal
of grievances, scheme for Structured Meetings
at different levels at regular intervals is
in place and have been organized with the
representatives of the SC/ST Welfare Associations.
Welfare
of Women
Women Cell
An independent Women Cell has
been set up in Department of Commerce with the
following broad functions:
- Prevention and redressal of sexual harassment
at workplace, constitution of Complaints Committee
in the Department of Commerce, its attached
and subordinate offices, PSUs, autonomous
bodies etc., monitoring their performance
and providing necessary help and guidance.
- Coordination with the Department of Women
& Child Development, National Commission
for Women and other concerned agencies in
respect of the matters connected with welfare
and economic empowerment of women and other
related issues.
- Review of the various programmes of Department
of Commerce to ensure that various aspects
of women welfare, development and empowerment
are promoted through the programmes and schemes
of the Department.
- Preparation of Action Plan pertaining to
the Department of Commerce for the overall
development of women in line with the National
Policy for empowerment of women.
- Other incidental matters pertaining to
the subject.
The Women Cell actively participated
in the various workshops / seminars on gender
issues organized by National Commission for Women
etc.
Gender Budget
Cell
Gender Budget Cell has been set
up in the Department to ensure that the budget
allocations made in the various schemes implemented
by the Department benefitted the women folk. Most
of the schemes under the Commodity Boards such
as Tea, Rubber, Coffee, Spices etc. as well as
agencies like Indian Instituting of Packaging,
Marine Products Export Development Authority,
Footwear Design & Development Institute etc.
have programmes targeting women beneficiaries.
Though funds are not specifically earmarked for
this group, yet all the aforementioned schemes
subsume the targeted category.
Coffee Board
A complaint committee in the
Board already exists for the purpose of prevention
and redressal of sexual harassment at workplace.
However, no complaint has been received during
the year. The various programmes undertaken for
the benefit of women are:
- Vocational training programme for women
under the Capacity Building Component of the
Development Support Scheme. Subsidy and other
financial support are also available for women
beneficiaries under different components of
the Development Support Scheme of XI Plan.
- During 2006-07, around 750 beneficiaries
were covered under Women Specific Programme.
246 beneficiaries have been covered under
the vocational training programme for women,
832 women beneficiaries were covered under
SS&MGS Scheme and 277 women have been
supported under the spillover claims of SS&
MGS Scheme pertaining to X Plan during the
first three quarter of 2007-08.
- Educational Stipend @ Rs. 1,5000/- has
been granted to 2,668 female children of the
labourers working in registered Coffee Estates
and Coffee Curing Works or tiny growers (less
than 2 ha0 who have passed SSLC during the
academic year 2006-07 and taken up higher
studies like polytechnic/Vocational Training/Pre
University Course in the academic year 2007-08.
Tea Board
Tea sector provides livelihood
in remote and rural areas. A notable feature of
this sector is that 50% plantation workers are
women folk. During 2007-08, the following activities
were operated by the Tea Board for the welfare
of women:
- Eight self-help groups were constituted
for grant of subsidy through which 200 women
folk were benefitted.
- Under the Labour Welfare Scheme, educational
stipend was given to 75 female students.
- Under the Scheme for Capital Grant for
Construction of Schools/ Colleges, 10 Schools
and 1 Colleges for girls have been given grant
during the year.
- 10 women employee were given promotion
and 2 women got new appointment during the
year.
Spices Board
A woman officer of the Board
has been nominated as “Women Welfare Officer”
to sort out the difficulties/problems, if any,
of the women employees or to bring them to the
notice of the higher authorities along with suggestions
for possible solutions. A three member Committee
has also been constituted in the Board to handle
grievances and cases of sexual harassment of women
at work place. During the year 2007, no complaint
of sexual harassment at work place was received.
Agricultural
& Processed Food Products Export Development
Athourity (APEDA)
At present, APEDA has 30 women
employees in Group A, B, C and D categories. The
welfare of the women employees is well looked
after. A women officer of DGM level has been nominated
to look after the welfare of women employees and
a separate ladies room has also been provided
within the office premises. During the year, no
complaint of sexual harassment at work place was
received.
Women in
Public Sector (WIPS)
WIPS in MMTC aims at maintaining
contact with Executive Committees, Apex Committee
Members and acts as a catalyst within the organization
while developing an information center/network
for wide dissemination of information. Women employees
from different organizations participate in the
regional and national meet for discussing policies/issues
concerning women at work place.
ANNEXURE
Statement
showing total number of Employees in the Department
of Commerce, its Attached/ Subordinate Offices,
Public Sector Undertakings, Semi-Autonomous Bodies
etc. under the Administrative Control of the Department
of Commerce and the number of SC/ST/OBC Employees
against them (as on 31st December 2007)
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