Lok Sabha Question No. 1215 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-09-19
Subject: Employment Crisis
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Arun Sao

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1215

TO BE ANSWERED ON 19 TH  SEPTEMBER, 2020

## EMPLOYMENT CRISIS

1215.   SHRI ARUN SAO:

SHRI NISITH PRAMANIK:

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

- (a) the steps taken by the Government to provide employment to youths and workers in view of employment crisis due to impact of Corona pandemic in the country;
- (b) the steps taken by the Government to provide employment to migrant workers who have come back to their home states including Cooch Behar Constituency of West Bengal;
- (c)
- the details of status of programmes like Aatm Nirbhar Bharat and Make in India;
- (d) whether needy people are getting employment under the above programmes; and
- (e) if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  the  reformative  measures  being  taken  by  the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  to  (e):  The  global  spread  of  the  corona  virus  (COVID-19)  followed  by  lockdowns  has affected economies across the globe, including India. Covid-19 has resulted in large number of migrant workers going back to their native places. Government has taken initiatives for creating jobs at local levels & supporting migrant workers including workers of Cooch Behar Constituency  of  West  Bengal  through  Pradhan  Mantri  Garib  Kalyan  Yojana  (PMGKY), Aatmanirbhar Bharat & Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Rozgar Abhayan (PMGKRA). Aatmanirbhar Bharat is based on Economy, Infrastructure, System, Vibrant Demography and Demand to create jobs for the youth. It encompasses an economic package of Rs. 20 Lakh crore inter-alia, for facilitating creation of employment opportunities in the country.

Under  PMGKY,  Government  of  India  is  contributing  both  12%  employer's  share  and  12% employee's share under Employees Provident Fund (EPF), totalling 24% of the wage for the wage  month  from  March  to  August,  2020  for  all  the  establishments  having  upto  100 employees with 90% of such employees earning less than Rs. 15000/-.

Statutory  PF  contribution  of  both  employer  and  employee  has  been  reduced  to  10%  each from existing 12% each for all establishments covered by EPFO for three months.

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 to be implemented in a mission mode campaign in 125 days.

As per the information available, total employment generated (in days) under the Abhiyaan is 26,34,23,281 mandays with expenditure of Rs. 22761 crore as on 08.09.2020.

Government has also taken steps to strengthen Infrastructure Logistics, Capacity Building, Governance  and  Administrative  Reforms  for  Agriculture,  Fisheries  and  Food  Processing Sectors. These include Rs. 1 lakh crore Agri Infrastructure Fund for farm-gate infrastructure for farmers; Rs. 10,000 crore scheme for formalisation of Micro Food Enterprises; Rs. 20,000 crore  for  Fishermen  through  Pradhan  Mantri  Matsya  Sampada  Yojana;  National  Animal Disease  Control  Programme;  Setting  up  of  Animal  Husbandry  Infrastructure  Development Fund of Rs. 15,000 crore; Promotion of Herbal Cultivation with an outlay of Rs. 4,000 crore; Beekeeping  initiatives  worth  Rs.  500  crore;  Measures  for  Governance  and  Administrative Reforms for Agriculture Sector; Amendments to Essential Commodities Act to enable better price realisation for farmers; Agriculture Marketing Reforms to provide marketing choices to farmers; Agriculture Produce Price and Quality Assurance.

RBI and Government of India have introduced following measures to infuse liquidity in the economy to sustain the market economy.

- i. Moratorium up to 31st August, 2020 on repayment of installments of term loans/cash credit/over draft
- ii. Scheme of Rs. 1,500 crore to provide Interest Subvention of 2% for prompt payees for a period of 12 months to MUDRA Shishu loanees, who have loans below Rs. 50,000.
- iii. Reducing the Cash Reserve Ratio and Repo rate
- iv. Special refinance facility of Rs.15,000 crore to SIDBI for onlending/refinancing
- v. Special  liquidity  scheme  for  Non-Banking  Financial  Companies  (NBFCs),  Housing Finance  Companies  (HFCs)  and  Micro  Financial  Institutions  (MFIs)  worth  ₹30,000 crore
- vi. Emergency  Credit  Guarantee  Line  of  Rs.  3  lakh  crore  for  Standard  accounts  and stressed accounts (Special Mention Accounts-0 and Special Mention Accounts-1)
- vii. Rs. 45,000 crore Partial Credit Guarantee Scheme 2.0 for providing portfolio guarantee of 20% first loss to Public Sector Banks for purchase of Bonds or Commercial Papers with a rating of AA and below
8. viii.
9. Ban on Global Tender for procurement up to Rs. 200 crore.
- ix. Credit  Guarantee  Scheme  for  Subordinate  Debt  for  SMA-2  and  NPA  accounts  for infusing Rs. 20,000 crore in MSME Sector
- x. Credit  Guarantee  scheme  for  Street  Vendors  (PM  SVAnidhi)  which  also  involves interest subsidy
- xi. Partial credit guarantee scheme for the liabilities of NBFCs and MFIs, etc.

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