Lok Sabha Question No. 138 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-09-14
Subject: Migrant labourers belonging to Uttar Pradesh
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Kaushal Kishore

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 138 TO BE ANSWERED ON 14.09.2020

## MIGRANT LABOURERS BELONGING TO UTTAR PRADESH

†138. SHRI KAUSHAL KISHORE:

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

- (a)whether the maximum migrant labourers belonging to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar were forced to migrate from other States due to corona in the country;
- (b)if so, the details thereof;
- (c)the  details  of  reasons  to  withhold  the  migrant  labourers  in  these States itself due to Corona and non-availability of prompt facility of their shelter and food;
- (d)the details  of  the  number  of  migrant  workers,  labourers/daily wagers who returned from other states; and
- (e)the number and details of migrant workers, labourers, daily wagers
- for whom the arrangement of job has been made?

## ANSWER

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

(a) & (b): India,  as  a  Nation,  has  responded  through  the  Central government,  State  governments,  Local  Bodies,  Self-help  Groups, Resident Welfare Associations, Medical Health Professionals, Sanitation Workers as well as large number of genuine and bonafide non-governmental  organizations  in  the  Nation's  fight  against  the unprecedented human crisis due to the outbreak of Covid  - 19 and country-wide  lockdown. The details of  labourers  belonging  to  Uttar Pradesh and Bihar returned to their native state are as under:

- (1) Uttar Pradesh- 3249638
- (2) Bihar - 1500612

(c): Forced  retention  during  Covid-19  has  not  been  reported. 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.

Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and public distribution under the Atma Nirbhar Bharat Scheme allocated 8 lakh MT of food grains to all the States/UTs for free of cost distribution at the scale of 5 kg per person to about 8 crore migrant/stranded migrant persons who  are  neither  able  to  access  food  grains  through  National  Food Security Act (NFSA) nor through any other State PDS Scheme during the  Covid  -  19  situation.  Ministry  of  Housing  and  Urban  Affairs  has launched schemes i.e. Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban), Deen Dayal Antodaya  Yojana  -  National  Livelihoods  Mission,  Pradhan  Mantri Awas Yojana - urban to reduce poverty and vulnerability of the urban poor. Ministry of Commerce and Industry has helped a large number of migrant workers working in Special Economic Zone (SEZ) with dry ration, water, sanitation and medical assistance.

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): A Statement is enclosed:

(e): No  such  data  is  maintained.  However,  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. Department of Financial Services has launched various flagship  schemes  like  Pradhan  Mantri  Jan  Dhan  yojana,  Pradhan Mantri Jivan Jyoti Bima Yojana, Atal Pension Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana & Standup India  for  helping  the  unbanked  and  marginalized  sections  of  the society for availing bank facilities, social security and selfemployment.  All  these  schemes  are  for  helping  the  unbanked  and marginalized sections of the society for availing bank facilities, social security and self-employment. These schemes are accessible universally,  including  the  migrant  labourers  as  per  the  eligibility criteria under each scheme.

*                                                      ******

| S.No.   | Name of the State                  | No. of Migrant workers who have returned to their home state*   |
|---------|------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1       | Andhra Pradesh                     | 32571                                                           |
| 2       | Andaman and Nicobar                | -                                                               |
| 3       | Arunachal Pradesh                  | 2871                                                            |
| 4       | Assam                              | 426441                                                          |
| 5       | Bihar                              | 1500612                                                         |
| 6       | Chandigarh                         | -                                                               |
| 7       | Chhattisgarh                       | -                                                               |
| 8       | Dadra &Nagar Haveli and Daman &Diu | 43747                                                           |
| 9       | Delhi                              | -                                                               |
| 10      | Goa                                | -                                                               |
| 11      | Gujrat                             | -                                                               |
| 12      | Haryana                            | 1289                                                            |
| 13      | Himachal Pradesh                   | -                                                               |
| 14      | Jammu &Kashmir                     | 48780                                                           |
| 15      | Jharkhand                          | 530047                                                          |
| 16      | Karnataka                          | -                                                               |
| 17      | Kerala                             | 311124                                                          |
| 18      | Ladakh                             | 50                                                              |
| 19      | Lakshadweep                        | 456                                                             |
| 20      | Madhya Pradesh                     | 753581                                                          |
| 21      | Maharashtra                        | 182990                                                          |
| 22      | Manipur                            | 12338                                                           |
| 23      | Meghalaya                          | 4266                                                            |
| 24      | Mizoram                            | -                                                               |
| 25      | Nagaland                           | 11750                                                           |
| 26      | Odisha                             | -                                                               |
| 27      | Pondicherry                        | 1694                                                            |
| 28      | Punjab                             | 515642                                                          |
| 29      | Rajasthan                          | 1308130                                                         |
| 30      | Sikkim                             | -                                                               |
| 31      | Tamil Nadu                         | 72145                                                           |
| 32      | Telangana                          | 37050                                                           |
| 33      | Tripura                            | 34247                                                           |
| 34      | Uattar Pradesh                     | 3249638                                                         |
| 35      | Uttarakhand                        | -                                                               |
| 36      | West Bengal                        | 1384693                                                         |
|         | Total                              | 10466152                                                        |

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