Lok Sabha Question No. 587 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-02-06
Subject: Casual and Contract Labourers
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: AJAY (TENI) MISRA, SANKAR PRASAD DATTA

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 587 TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.02.2017

## CASUAL AND CONTRACT LABOURERS

†587. SHRI AJAY MISRA TENI: SHRI SANKAR PRASAD DATTA:

Will the Minister of LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT be pleased to state:

- (a)whether the number of casual and contract labourers are increasing in the country;
- (b)if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  withthe  industry/sector-wise casual labourers deployed during the last three years;
- (c)whether  the  honorarium  being  given  to  the  contract  labourers  is less than the honorarium given to the MGNREGA workers;
- (d)if so, the details thereof; and
- (e)whether  the  Government  proposes  to  fix  minimum  wages  for  all such  categories  of  workers  in  the  country  and  formulate  welfare schemes besides providing pension and insurance facility to them and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE (IC) FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SHRI BANDARU DATTATREYA)

(a) & (b): The  number  of  contract  workers  engaged  on  the  basis  of license  issued  under  Contract  Labour(Regulation  &  Abolition)  Act, 1970 in the Central Sphere during the last 3 years is given below:-

| Year    |   No. of Contract Labour |
|---------|--------------------------|
| 2013-14 |                  1967747 |
| 2014-15 |                  1903170 |
| 2015-16 |                  2092673 |

The  number  of  casual  workers  working  in  the  Central centrally maintained.  They  are  engaged  by  the  establishments  based  on  their

Government  and  the establishments thereunder is not individual requirements.

(c) & (d): This information is not centrally maintained.

(e): The contract and casual workers covered under the Scheduled Employment have the protection of minimum wages fixed according to the nature of work as provided under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948.

In order to provide social security benefits to the workers in the unorganised sector, the Government has enacted the Unorganised Workers'  Social  Security  Act,  2008  which  stipulates  formulation  of suitable welfare schemes for unorganised workers on matters relating to:  (i)  life  and  disability  cover,  (ii)  health  and  maternity  benefits,  (iii) old age protection and (iv) any other benefit as may be determined by the  Central  Government  through  the  National  Social  Security  Board. Various  Schemes,  formulated  by  the  Government  to  provide  social security cover to the unorganized workers, listed in the Schedule I of the above Act are as under:

- i.    Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (Ministry of Rural Development)
- ii.   National Family Benefit Scheme  (Ministry of Rural Development)
- iii.  Janani Suraksha Yojana (Ministry of Health and Family Welfare)
- iv.   Handloom  Weavers'  Comprehensive  Welfare  Scheme (Ministry of Textiles)
- v.    Handicraft  Artisans'  Comprehensive  Welfare  Scheme (Ministry of Textiles)
- vi.  Pension to Master Craft Persons (Ministry of Textiles)

- vii.   National  Scheme  for  Welfare  of  Fishermen  and  Training  and Extension (Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries)
- viii.  Aam Admi Bima Yojana (Department of Financial Services)
- ix.    Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (Ministry of Health and Family Welfare)

Central Government has also launched the Atal Pension  Yojana,  Pradhan  Mantri  Jeevan  Jyoti  Bima  Yojana  and Pradhan  Mantri  Suraksha  Bima  Yojana  for  all  citizens  especially targeting  unorganised  workers  to  provide  them  comprehensive social security.

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