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Patna, March 25 : Thousands of beedi workers in Bihar would be issued identity cards to entitle them to benefits under various government schemes to improve their socio-economic conditions.
Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi announced in the state assembly Tuesday that the identity cards would be issued soon to beedi workers.
Modi said special camps would be organised to distribute identity cards to beedi workers. "In the first phase, identity cards would be issued in Jamui, Nalanda and Begusarai districts," he said.
He said keeping in mind the socio-economic conditions of the beedi workers, the state government has fixed a target to construct 500,000 houses in the next fiscal while 250,000 houses were being constructed in the current financial year.
He informed the house that 1,520 houses were being constructed in Jamui, 815 in Begusarai and 805 in Nalanda.
Modi said that Rs.45,000 had to be spent on construction of each house. The central government will contribute Rs.40,000 and out of the remaining sum, the state government would pay Rs.4,000 while a beedi worker will have to pay Rs.1,000.
Hundreds of beedi workers across the state have been suffering from tuberculosis, cancer and other diseases due to poverty and poor living conditions.
Social activist Arshad Azmal said that studies by NGOs show that most of the beedi workers belong to the weaker sections of society.
Beedi making provides employment and source of earning livelihood to nearly 200,000 people in the state.
(IANS)
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