Port Blair, July 2: The One Stop Centre under the Directorate of Social Welfare organized an online awareness session on Maternity Benefit Act, 1961.The session focused on pregnant working women audiences connected from different location of A&N Islands to make them aware of different maternity benefits prior to expected delivery and after.

Dr. Nitin Shakya, Director (SW), detailed the key provisions of Indian Maternity Benefits Act 1961 and Maternity Benefit Amendment Act 2017. He emphasized about the provision in the CCS rules, in which, maternity benefits have been increased from 12 weeks to 180 days. These rights protect women in removing the fear of job insecurity, ensure equal pay during pregnancy and provide financial stability for the mother and child.

The online session was led by Smt. Meenal Rajan, Case Worker, One Stop Centre on the objectives and salient features of Maternity Benefit Act of 1961, which focused on the provisions that the act guarantees the right of a women employee to return to the same position/on equal position with the same pay and benefits after the completion of the maternity leave. She also briefed on challenges and criticisms of the Act, Maternity Policies under the Act and the penalty for denying maternity leave. She also briefed about the services provided by One Stop Centre which facilitate quick, emergency and non-emergency access to number of services, including legal counselling, medical, psychological support under one ceiling to fight all forms of violence against women. The affected women can approach the One Stop Centre near AYUSH hospital, Junglighat, Port Blair or dial the landline number 234221, Help Line 181 or 112.

The program was attended by Lawyers and general public at large.