Lok Sabha Question No. 991 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-12-17
Subject: Agricultural Workforce
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: A.P. JITHENDER REDDY

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 991 TO BE ANSWERED ON 17.12.2018

## AGRICULTURAL WORKFORCE

991. SHRI A.P. JITHENDER REDDY:

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

- (a)  the  year-wise  and  State-wise  data  on  absolute  size  of  agricultural workforce  and  workforce  employed  in  construction  sector  in  the country since 2014;
- (b)  the  number  of  non-agricultural  wage  workers  who  have  access  to regular employment with some social security benefits and a written contract,  State/  UT-wise  and  year-wise  since  2014  along  with  the details of steps taken to increase the number;
- (c) with reference to the answer given in the Unstarred Question No. 530 answered  on  14.7.2014,  the  details  of  the  work,  reports,  funds consumed by the Inter-Ministerial Committee constituted to draft the the
- National Employment Policy and details of the result of Employment Policy drafted thereafter; and
- (d) the details of laws enacted, measures implemented /undertaken by the Government  to  protect  the  rights  of  interstate  migrant  labourers since 2014?

## ANSWER

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

- (a): In respect of agricultural workforce, no data is available with this Ministry. However, workforce in Construction Sector as on 30.09.2018 (provisional) is at annexure.
- (b): No such data is available.
- (c): After  constitution  of  Inter-Ministerial  Committee  (IMC)  constituted to draft the National Employment Policy on 15.3.2014, the meetings of the committee  were  held  and  consultations  have  been  held  with  various stakeholders like Ministries, State Governments, Trade Unions, Industry Associations etc. for inputs to the Policy.

Expenditure on holding of meetings of said IMC has been on stationery, refreshments etc. which is part of normal office expenses of the Ministry and separate details are not available.  However, normally expenditure on one such meeting range  between two thousands to five thousands.

(d): The Central  Government  has enacted the Inter-state Migrant Workmen  (Regulation  of  Employment  and  Conditions  of  Services)  Act, 1979 which, inter alia, provides for payment of minimum wages, journey allowance, displacement allowance, residential accommodation, medical facilities and protective clothing etc. The Government has also enacted the  Unorganised  Workers  Social  Security  Act,  2008  to  provide  for  the welfare  of  unorganised  workers  (including  migrant  workers)  on  matters relating to; life and disability cover, health and maternity benefits; old age protection and any other benefit as may be determined. Under the Right to Education Act, all children below the age of fourteen years have a right to compulsory free education. The Central Government has launched the National Health Protection Scheme (Ayushman Bharat) which will cover 10  crore  poor  and  vulnerable  families  providing  coverage  up  to  5  lakh rupees per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization. These  schemes  will  also  cater  to  the  eligible  migrant  workers.  The Central  Government  in  2017  converged  the  social  security  scheme  of Aam Aadmi Bima Yojana (AABY) with Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) to provide life and disability coverage to the unorganised workers, depending upon their eligibility.  The converged PMJJBY/PMSBY scheme is  for  the  beneficiaries  in  the  age  group  18-50  years  and  provides  for coverage of Rs. 2 lakh, in case of natural death and Rs. 4 lakh, in case of accidental death. The converged schemes  are being implemented through  Life  Insurance  Corporation  of  India.  A  premium  of  Rs.  342 (330+12) per annum would be required for the converged schemes. The premium would be shared between the State Government and the Central Government  in  the  ratio  of  50:50.  This  Ministry  has  urged  all  the states/UTs Governments to give their financial concurrence to cover 50 percent of the premium for all eligible unorganised workers. Around 2.83 crore beneficiaries have been covered under this scheme.

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Annexure

## State-wise statement of number of Workers Registered under the Building and Other Construction Workers Acts, 1996.

| As on 30.09.2018(Provisional)   | As on 30.09.2018(Provisional)   | As on 30.09.2018(Provisional)            |
|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|------------------------------------------|
| Sl. No.                         | Name of the States/UTs          | No. of workers registered with the Board |
| 1                               | Andhra Pradesh                  | 1,815,889                                |
| 2                               | Arunachal Pradesh               | 30,841                                   |
| 3                               | Assam                           | 143,574                                  |
| 4                               | Bihar                           | 828,451                                  |
| 5                               | Chhattisgarh                    | 1,574,790                                |
| 6                               | Goa                             | 3,738                                    |
| 7                               | Gujarat                         | 654,550                                  |
| 8                               | Haryana                         | 763,373                                  |
| 9                               | Himachal Pradesh                | 147,932                                  |
| 10                              | J&K                             | 342,295                                  |
| 11                              | Jharkhand                       | 796,146                                  |
| 12                              | Karnataka                       | 1,542,432                                |
| 13                              | Kerala                          | 1,491,300                                |
| 14                              | Madhya Pradesh                  | 2,996,227                                |
| 15                              | Maharashtra                     | 989,018                                  |
| 16                              | Manipur                         | 118,332                                  |
| 17                              | Meghalaya                       | 24,032                                   |
| 18                              | Mizoram                         | 21,865                                   |
| 19                              | Nagaland                        | 11,912                                   |
| 20                              | Odisha                          | 2,234,569                                |
| 21                              | Punjab                          | 746,102                                  |
| 22                              | Rajasthan                       | 2,049,258                                |
| 23                              | Sikkim                          | 36,236                                   |
| 24                              | Tamil Nadu                      | 2,853,544                                |
| 25                              | Telangana                       | 1,175,531                                |
| 26                              | Tripura                         | 99,762                                   |
| 27                              | Uttar Pradesh                   | 4,208,744                                |
| 28                              | Uttarakhand                     | 232,627                                  |
| 29                              | West Bengal                     | 3,101,362                                |
| 30                              | Delhi                           | 539,421                                  |
| 31                              | A &NIsland                      | 14,392                                   |
| 32                              | Chandigarh                      | 19,813                                   |
| 33                              | Dadra &Nagar Haveli             | 2,176                                    |
| 34                              | Daman and Diu                   | 5,149                                    |
| 35                              | Lakshadweep                     | 179                                      |
| 36                              | Puducherry                      | 41,224                                   |
|                                 | Total                           | 31,656,786                               |

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