Maternity Leave Incentive Scheme – Rajya Sabha Q&A
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-2020
ANSWERED ON-10.07.2019
Maternity leave incentive scheme
2020 . Dr. Banda Prakash
(a)whether the Ministry is working on an incentive scheme wherein 7 weeks” wage would be reimbursed to employers who hire female workers with wages upto ` 15,000 and provide the maternity benefit of 26 weeks paid leave and funded from Labour Welfare Cess;
(b)if so, the details thereof; and
(c)if not, the reasons therefor?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE (IC) FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
(SHRI SANTOSH KUMAR GANGWAR)
(a) & (b): Yes, Sir. Government is working on an incentive Scheme for entities that provide 26 weeks maternity benefits to their woman employees as provided for in the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017. To enable an entity to avail of the incentive, the women employees working in their entity should be a wage earner of less than Rs.15,000/- per month and a member of Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) for at least one year and not covered by Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC). The scheme is proposed to be administered through Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation and shall be implemented after obtaining the approval of the competent authority. However, the Incentive is not proposed to be funded from Labour Welfare Cess, but through the budgetary allocations.
(c): Does not arise in view of (a) and (b) above.