Lok Sabha Question No. 221 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-09-14
Subject: Low Wage Earners
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Geetha Viswanath Vanga, Kotha Prabhakar  Reddy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 221 TO BE ANSWERED ON 14.09.2020

## LOW WAGE EARNERS

## 221. SHRIMATI VANGA GEETHA VISWANATH: SHRI KOTHA PRABHAKAR REDDY:

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

- (a)whether 74 percent claimants are low wage earners or those who earn less than Rs.15,000 a month under EPFO;
- (b)if so, the details thereof, State-wise including Andhra Pradesh; and
- (c)the steps taken to settle their accounts promptly during the Covid19 pandemic period?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) & (b): Yes,  Sir.    The  details  of  claimants,  who  earn  less  than Rs.15,000 per month are at Annexure A.
- (c): The  Government  vide  notification  No.  GSR.225(E)  dated 27.03.2020  inserted  sub-para  (3)  under  Para  68L  of  the  Employees' Provident  Fund  (EPF)  Scheme,  1952  to  provide  for  non-refundable advance  to  EPF  members  not  exceeding  the  basic  wages  and dearness  allowances  for  three  months  or  upto  75  per  cent  of  the amount in the members' EPF account, whichever is less, in the event of outbreak of epidemic or pandemic.

The  subscribers  were  facilitated  to  submit  online  claims and the services of EPFO also has been integrated and offered through UMANG application of the Government of India.  The entire payment to subscribers  is  done  electronically  through  Nation  Electronic  Fund Transfer (NEFT) System.

*                                                      *****

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (a)  &  (b)  OF  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.  221  FOR  14.09.2020  BY  SHRIMATI  VANGA GEETHA VISWANATH AND SHRI KOTHA PRABHAKAR REDDY REGARDING LOW WAGE EARNERS.

| Sl.No.   | STATE/UT NAME                                         | TOTAL CLAIMS SETTLED   | CLAIMS SETTLED WHERE WAGES WERE UPTO Rs.14,999   |
|----------|-------------------------------------------------------|------------------------|--------------------------------------------------|
| 1        | ANDHRA PRADESH                                        | 312,457                | 250,802                                          |
| 2        | ASSAM & OTHER NORTH EAST STATES                       | 46,862                 | 36,008                                           |
| 3        | BIHAR                                                 | 112,504                | 95,373                                           |
| 4        | CHANDIGARH                                            | 126,958                | 103,813                                          |
| 5        | CHHATTISGARH                                          | 134,134                | 116,915                                          |
| 6        | DELHI                                                 | 888,874                | 682,361                                          |
| 7        | GOA                                                   | 40,545                 | 33,681                                           |
| 8        | GUJARAT (INCLUDING DADRA& NAGAR HAVELI AND DAMAN&DIU) | 642,259                | 549,759                                          |
| 9        | HARYANA                                               | 666,122                | 551,117                                          |
| 10       | HIMACHAL PRADESH                                      | 71,751                 | 62,028                                           |
| 11       | JAMMU & KASHMIR AND LADAKH                            | 416                    | 309                                              |
| 12       | JHARKHAND                                             | 104,632                | 91,579                                           |
| 13       | KARNATAKA                                             | 1,297,003              | 950,056                                          |
| 14       | KERALA (INCLUDING LAKSHADWEEP)                        | 263,012                | 190,626                                          |
| 15       | MADHYAPRADESH                                         | 294,653                | 255,605                                          |
| 16       | MAHARASHTRA                                           | 1,825,601              | 1,369,050                                        |
| 17       | ODISHA                                                | 136,016                | 107,466                                          |
| 18       | PUNJAB                                                | 188,230                | 166,923                                          |
| 19       | RAJASTHAN                                             | 272,464                | 236,350                                          |
| 20       | TAMIL NADU (INCLUDING PUDUCHERRY)                     | 1,387,883              | 1,070,194                                        |
| 21       | TELANGANA                                             | 620,450                | 445,594                                          |
| 22       | UTTAR PRADESH                                         | 508,222                | 428,678                                          |
| 23       | UTTARAKHAND                                           | 167,282                | 149,484                                          |
| 24       | WEST BENGAL (INCLUDING A&N ISLANDS                    | 296,721                | 247,964                                          |
| TOTAL    | TOTAL                                                 | 10,405,051             | 8,191, 735                                       |

*****