Central Govt Maternity Leave Incentive Scheme for Pregnant Women – केंद्र सरकार की मातृत्व अवकाश प्रोत्साहन योजना 2023
The Central Government Ministry of Labor and Employment has given clarification about Maternity Leave Incentive Scheme as some media reports did not provide benefits of this scheme in private sector and contract jobs. Are going The current stage of the proposal is that the Maternity Benefit scheme has been approved / notified.
Maternity leave incentive scheme
However, the present stage of the proposal is still in the process of obtaining the necessary budgetary grants and approvals of the competent authority. Some reports being submitted by the media parts state that the scheme will be funded by labor welfare cess. Funds will be funded even though no such cess exists under the Ministry.
The Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 will be enforced only in establishments, factories, mills, factories, shops and other institutions where 10 or more persons work. If the proposed scheme is approved and implemented, it will ensure equal access to employment, adequate security and safe environment for every woman in the country.
Even women across the country have to face a big challenge of domestic work as well as child care. For this reason, all these workplace will be more and more responsible for the family needs of the working women.
Salient features of the scheme: –
- All the companies, factories, shops, mills employing more than 10 employees are covered under the Maternity Leave Incentive Scheme.
- The Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 will regulate employment of women at working places before and after childbirth and provide them some other benefits.
- The Act was amended through the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act 2017. In this amendment, the Central Government has increased the maternity leave of women employees from 12 weeks to 26 weeks.
- The implementation of this scheme is going very well in the public sector but according to some reports the implementation of this scheme is not good in private sector and contract jobs.
- Private sector establishments are not encouraging women employees like if they are employed in the establishment, they will have to provide maternity benefit, especially 26 weeks paid vacation.
- The Ministry of Labor and Employment is receiving complaints from various departments that when the employer finds out that his female employees are going to apply for maternity leave, their contract is rejected for some or the other reason.
- Therefore, the government is working on the Maternity Leave Incentive Scheme. Women workers whose salary is upto 15,000 / – will be provided 7 weeks reimbursement by employers and 26 weeks maternity leave (paid) subject to certain conditions.
Maternity leave incentive scheme
An estimated amount of Rs 400 crore will be allocated by the Government of India to implement the proposed incentive scheme.
Effect of incentive scheme
- If the proposed scheme is approved and implemented, it will ensure adequate security and safe environment for the women of this country as well as their equal access to employment and other approved benefits.
- Apart from this, women will be able to deal well with child care as well as household work.
- The Ministry of Labor and Employment is currently in the process of obtaining necessary budgetary grants and clearances from the competent authorities, but at present there is no Cess like Labor Welfare Cess available in the Ministry.
Act Background
- The Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 covers those factories, mines, plantations, shops and establishments and other bodies where 10 or more employees are employed.
- The main objective of this Act is to regulate the employment of women working there for certain periods before and after the birth of the child in certain establishments and provide them maternity benefits as well as some other benefits.
- The Act was amended through the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017, under which, among other things, the period of maternity leave including salary for women employees has been increased from 12 weeks to 26 weeks.