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Technology Upgradation Scheme for Salt Workers

India is the third-largest producer of salt in the world after China and USA with an average annual production of about 240 lakh ton. The Salt Commissioner’s Organisation (SCO) in collaboration with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry’s Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) is taking various measures in enhancing the overall development of the salt industry. The introduction of the latest labour-intensive technologies and the imports of high-level mechanisation yielded employment for more than 1.5 Lakhs workers. The Salt Commissioner was initially started in Jaipur and had been functioning successfully in three regional offices with Deputy Commissioner and Assistant commissioners to execute the functions.

Functions of the Salt Department

The Department fosters to plan and facilitate the technology upgradation of the salt production process and to schedule the training program for Salt workers. The functions of the salt department include:

• Employing regulations and controlling the amount of Salt manufactured.
• Encouraging the supply and distribution of salt by other agencies
• Acquiring the Central Government lands for lease in order to manufacture salt.
• Monitoring and regularising the collection of ground rent, the assignment fee etc.
• Executing the welfare schemes for a salt worker in maintaining the standards and improving the quality of the salt.

Objectives of the Scheme

The objectives of the scheme are:

• Replace the traditional and primitive salt production methodologies with modern salt production technologies.
• Educate and train the salt workers with advanced technologies to improve the quality and production of salt.
• Creating training methodologies in consultation with salt workers, salt technologists and CSMCRI, to meet the demands in the specific regions.
• To focus its attention on challenging salt-producing centres.
• To provide support and assistance to salt workers in subsoil brine areas such as Rajasthan and Gujarat in producing high-quality salt.

Implementation of the Scheme

The scheme is being implemented in the chosen areas in two phases:

• The Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute conducts the training programmes for the master trainers during the first phase.
  • The Salt Commissioner’s Organisation (SCOs) or the Salt Cluster Leaders are the responsible bodies to choose the master trainers and to conduct the training programme
• The implementation of the Scheme is periodically evaluated by the implementation agency.
  • The Regional Salt Officer acts as the Nodal Agency for imparting the training by addressing and providing solution and remedies for effective training.
  • Two training programs are conducted for the period of 5 days by 20 trainers to the master trainers

Implementation Features

The master trainers get trained under the following subjects:

• Chemistry of Salt Manufacturing
• Design and Layout of salt works
• Cleansing of Solar Salt
• Valuable addition through bittern processing
• Semi automation of solar saltworks
• Implementation of analytical techniques and soil analysis
• Enriching solar salt with iodine and iron
• Educating on Industrial Standards and peril management in the salt industry

The selected salt farmers undergo 20 training programmes for six days in a year by the master trainers, and they get trained under the following subjects:

• Fundamentals about Brine
• Utilising Beaume’s Hydrometer in the examination of the density of Brine
• Preparation of salt crystalliser beds
• Charging of brine in various sections of salt works
• Researching on the factors affecting salt production.
• Training with an agenda to acquire efficient knowledge on the use of implements, extraction, inventory and chemical analysis of salt.
• During the second stage of the implementation, the master trainers impart their training knowledge to the salt workers in the respective regions.
• 30 salt farmers per batch are selected by the master trainers.
• Detailed course materials are provided.

Assistance for the Trainees

• The total assistance of Rs.10 Lakhs is released during the period of the whole plan, out of which Rs.5 Lakhs is allotted to handle the expenditures such as preparation and distribution of training materials, boarding, visiting local salt workers and salary payments to the faculties of CSMCRI.
• The trainees are entitled to a Sleeper class rail fare from the residence or working place to the training venue.
• An allowance of Rs.500 per day is provided for the trainees.
• They are provided with free conveyance to the field visits like Chemical Laboratories, Model Salt Farm and Salt Producing Center.
• The entire cost is incurred by the Salt Commissioner Officer (SCO).

Cost and Fund Allocation

The funds are allocated for the 2 modes of training programmes in the following ways:

• The master trainers are provided with Rs.5 Lakh per training and the total assistance of Rs.10 lakh.

The allocation of the expenses incurred for a single training programme are as follows:

1. A sum of Rs.75,000 is spent on the expenses incurred by the trainees for their travel, on submission of the actual bills

• • Another sum of Rs.75,000 is provided for the preparation of the training material.

A total amount of Rs.1.50 Lakh is allotted towards the accommodation and food for the trainees.

1. For the trainers to visit the nearby salt workers, an allotment of Rs.50,000 is released under the scheme.
2. Rs.1.5 Lakhs is allocated for the remuneration of CSMCRI scientists.

The department allocates Rs.1.8 Crores to conduct 60 training programmes for the salt workers. The total expense of Rs.3 Lakhs per training program is distributed under the following categories:

1. A sum of Rs.10,000 is allotted for the preparation and distribution of study materials to the trainees in their local language.
2. Amount of Rs.90,000 is provided as a Trainees Sustenance Allowance

• A sum of Rs.40,000 is allotted to cover miscellaneous charges such as inaugural and valedictory sessions, putting up of display banners and refreshments for the trainees and trainers.

1. A sum of Rs.35,000 is released to incur the hiring charges for external and internal visits of the salt workers.
2. A fund of Rs.22,000 and Rs.18,000 is allotted for the transportation of the faculty and the trainees respectively.
3. The faculties of CSMCRI, Bhavnagar is provided with a travel cost of Rs.55,000

• • A total amount of Rs.15,000 is allotted for the daily allowance of the faculties
  • A sum of Rs.16,000 is spent towards the Certification Cost for the trainees, general equipment cost used in the training and some buffer amount.

Fund Release

The funds are released by the SCO on meeting the listed demands:

• A proposal must be placed by the respective Regional Officer for conducting the training.
• The proposal should include the Training schedule for the entire year.
• The name of the faculties should be decided before the month of April and should be mention in the proposal.
• The training program should be proposed with the plan and advice of the SLC.
• The Salt Commissioner Officer approves the proposed expenditure subjected to the availability of funds on the authorisation of CLC.