In a first in Country, Odisha Announces Social Security Benefits for Newspaper Hawkers

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today announced social security benefits for the newspaper hawkers in the State.

All the newspaper hawkers registered with the Odisha unorganised workers welfare board will get the social security assistance, according to a statement from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO).
With this, Odisha has become the first state in the country to take such a welfare measure for the newspaper hawkers.

The Chief Minister also announced a special Covid assistance of Rs 6000 for registered newspaper hawkers.

The assistance of Rs 6,000 will be provided to each newspaper hawker to their bank accounts directly.
The amount has been sanctioned from Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (CMRF).

As per the social security scheme, the next to kin of a newspaper hawker will get an assistance of Rs 2 lakh in case of accidental death while Rs 1 lakh will be provided for natural death
Newspaper hawkers who become completely disabled due to an accident will get Rs 1.5 lakh while Rs 80,000 will be provided in case of loss of both limbs and Rs 40,000 to those who lose one limb.