Lok Sabha Question No. 188 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-09-14
Subject: Labourer‘s Migration during Lockdown
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Sangeeta Kumari Singh Deo, Bhola Singh, Raja Amareshwara Naik, V. Kalanidhi, Vinod Kumar Sonkar, Jayanta Kumar Roy, Sukanta Majumdar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 188 TO BE ANSWERED ON 14.09.2020

## LABOURER'S MIGRATION DURING LOCKDOWN

188. SHRIMATI SANGEETA KUMARI SINGH DEO:

SHRI BHOLA SINGH:

SHRI RAJA AMARESHWARA NAIK:

DR. KALANIDHI VEERASWAMY:

SHRI VINOD KUMAR SONKAR:

DR. JAYANTA KUMAR ROY:

DR. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR:

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

- (a)whether the Government has failed in assessment of problems faced by  the  migrant  labourers  during  the  lock  down  imposed  by  the Government during COVID-19 pandemic including Tamil Nadu and if so,
- the reaction of the Government thereto;
- (b)whether  thousands  of  migrant  labourers  have  died  during  lock  down and if so, the details thereof;
- (c)whether the Government has distributed free ration to all ration card holders  during  the  COVID-19  pandemic  and  if  so,  the  details  thereof,
- State-wise including Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh;
- (d)whether the Government has received complaints regarding corruption
- in distribution of free ration and if so, the action taken thereon; and (e)the other steps being taken by the Government during the COVID-19 pandemic?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE (IC) FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SHRI SANTOSH KUMAR GANGWAR)

- (a): India, as a Nation, has responded through the Central Government, State governments, Local Bodies, Self-help Groups, Resident Welfare Associations, Medical Health Professionals, Sanitation the unprecedented  human  crisis  due  to  the  outbreak  of  Covid  -  19  and
- Workers  as  well as large  number  of  genuine  and  bonafide  nongovernmental organizations in the Nation's fight against country-wide lockdown including Tamil Nadu.

- (b): No such data is available.
- (c): State-Wise details are not available. However, 80 crore people are being provided additional 5 kg wheat or rice and 1 kg of preferred pulses, free  of  cost  every  month  till  November,  2020  to  all  the  beneficiaries under provisions of National Food Security Act. To empower millions of migrant workers/labourers working in various organized and unorganized sectors  to  seamlessly  receive  their  food  security  entitlements  under National Food Security Act (NFSA), irrespective of their physical location in  the  country  the  Government  has  started  the  implementation  of  One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) Plan. With the implementation of this plan  the  migrant  beneficiary  can  get  food  security  from  any  fair  price shop of his choice anywhere in the country.
- (d): Whenever  any  complaint  is  received,  action  is  taken  as  per existing rules.
- (e): The Central Government  has issued comprehensive Advisory Guidelines  on  27.07.2020  to  all  the  States/UTs  for  the  welfare  of  the migrant workers returning to the destination States in the backdrop of Covid - 19. The States/UTs have been advised to take adequate steps to streamline  the  migration  of  the  workers  to  mitigate  the  hardships  of migrant workers returning to the destination States/UTs. The States/UTs have  been  advised  to  implement  the  advisory  guidelines  by  quickly gearing  up  their  labour  Law  enforcement  machinery  and  ensuring statutory  compliance  by  all  the  stake-holders  which  could  provide migrant workers much needed help to mitigate the financial crisis and empower  them  to  deal  with  the  pandemic.  The  States/UTs  have  also been  advised  to  maintain  updated  data  of  the  migrant  workers  to facilitate the administration to extend benefits of the welfare schemes of the Government to the migrant workers.

Apart  from  above,  various  initiatives  have  been  taken  by  the Ministry  of  Labour  and  Employment  as  part  of  Pradhan  Mantri  Garib Kalyan  Yojana(PMGKY)  and      Atmanirbhar      Bharat        which,    interalia,include    (i)  payment  of  12%  employers'  share  and  12%  employees' share  under  Employees'  Provident  Fund  (EPF),  totalling  24%    by  the Government of India for six wage months from March to August, 2020 for all  the  establishments   having  up  to  100  employees  with  90%  of  such employees earning less than Rs.15,000 monthly wage; (ii) reduction in PF contribution from 12% to 10% of wages for the wage months of May, June and  July,  2020;  (iii)  non-refundable  Covid  advance  from  the  PF  by amending  the  EPF  Scheme,  1952;  (iv)  extension  in  the  date  of  filing  of returns; (v)  issuing advisory to promptly attend to   distress calls  of

workers /employees and also guide them in temporary shelters; (vi) using Building and other construction workers (BOCW) cess fund for  transfer of adequate  funds in the bank account of construction workers affected by COVID-19  outbreak;    (vii)  supporting  employees  and  workers  by  not terminating  them  and  not  cutting  their  wages;  and  (viii)  for  taking preventive measures to contain the spread of COVID-19.

The Ministry of Labour and Employment has set up control rooms across the country to receive and address the grievances of workers who have been denied wages or retrenched during the national lockdown.

To  boost  employment  and  livelihood  opportunities  for  migrant workers  returning  to  villages,  in  the  wake  of  COVID-19  outbreak, Government  of  India  has  launched  Garib  Kalyan  Rojgar  Abhiyaan  on 20th  June  2020.  The  Abhiyaan  focuses  on  durable  rural  infrastructure and  providing  modern  facilities  like internet in  the villages. Skill Mapping  of  the  rural  migrant  labour  is  being  done  to  help  them  work closer home. The Abhiyaan involves intensified and focused implementation  of  25  target  driven  works  to  provide  employment  and create infrastructure in the rural areas of 116 districts of 6 States with a resource envelope of Rs 50,000 crore. Apart from this, the Ministry of Women  and  Child  Development  has  launched  various  schemes  for migrant workers who have returned to their native places. One of the schemes is Anganwadi services which has been extended to children of migrant workers.

Ministry of Food Processing Industries have sanctioned 700 food processing/preservation  and  infrastructure  projects  in  which  migrant labourers will get employment.

To  provide  employment  to  the  migrant  workers  Ministry  of  Transport and Highways has identified the ongoing works/new works for the road construction.  Ministry  of  Steel  assisted  migrant  workers  and  their families with food packets and face mask, milk powder etc.

The Department of Bio Technology has set up 30 Biotech  - Kisan hubs  in the country  covering  all  Agroclimatic  zones,  150  Districts including  101  aspirational  districts  which  will  help  migrant  workers  to earn their livelihood through farming and expose them to the innovative methods of farming of high value crops.

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