The West Bengal Government on Monday announced an interim relief of Rs 10,000 per month for the workers of Dunlop and Jessop.
Nearly 1,000 workers of these two non-operational companies will benefit from this decision. The approximate toll on the State exchequer works out to roughly over Rs one crore a month.
The relief, according to State Finance Minister, Amit Mitra, will be provided for an “interim period”; i.e. till the State Government “formally” acquires the two ailing companies through an Act.
On Saturday, the West Bengal Assembly had passed two Bills to take over the management control of the two Ruia group companies – Dunlop India and Jessop.
The Bills, Dunlop India Ltd (Acquisition and Transfer of Undertaking) Bill, 2016, and Jessop and Company Ltd (Acquisition and Transfer of Undertaking) Bill 2016 - were passed by voice vote. They are awaiting assent to become an Act. Ex-gratia payment will be made for this period until the Bills become an Act.
“For the interim period – till the Bills become an Act – we are giving workers an ex-gratia of Rs 10,000 every month. All those workers on the master rolls will be paid. The process has begun today onwards,” Mitra said at the State secretariat.
While Dunlop has 550 workers; Jessop has 464 workers.
Payments to the workers will be made by the State Industrial Reconstruction department.