Lok Sabha Question No. 102 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-09-14
Subject: Livelihood Crisis of Migrant Labourers
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Talari Rangaiah, Reddeppa Nallakonda Gari, Beesetti  Venkata Satyavathi, Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy, Kani K. Navas, Pocha Brahmananda Reddy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 102 TO BE ANSWERED ON 14.09.2020

## LIVELIHOOD CRISIS OF MIGRANT LABOURERS

102. SHRI TALARI RANGAIAH:

SHRI N. REDDEPPA:

DR. BEESETTI VENKATA SATYAVATHI:

SHRI MAGUNTA SREENIVASULU REDDY:

SHRI K. NAVASKANI:

SHRI POCHA BRAHMANANDA REDDY:

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

- (a)whether the Government has taken any steps to solve the livelihood crisis of migrant workers in the country due to lack of jobs and loss
- of jobs as a result of COVID-19 pandemic; if so, the details thereof;
- (b)whether the Government has taken any concrete steps to increase or generate rural employment to kick start the rural economy;
- (c)if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (d)Whether  the  Government  proposes  to  provide  jobs  to  migrant workers in their home States;
- (e)if so, the details thereof, scheme and State-wise?

## ANSWER

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

(a): Government  of  India  has  announced  Rs.1.70  Lakh  Crore relief  package  under  Pradhan  Mantri  Garib  Kalyan  Yojana  (PMGKY) for the poor to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 pandemic. Measures are intended at reaching out to the poorest of the poor, with food and money  in  hands,  so  that  they  do  not  face  difficulties  in  buying essential supplies and meeting essential needs. The salient features of the relief package are:

- (i) Insurance cover of Rs.50 Lakh per health worker fighting Covid-19 provided under the insurance scheme.
- 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
- (ii) provisions of National Food Security Act.
- 20.65  crores  women  Jan  Dhan  account  holder  has  been given cash assistance of Rs.500/- per month per person for three  months.  Rs.10,325  Crores,  Rs.10,315  Crores  and Rs.10,312 Crores have been credited in three installments
- (iii) to the women Jan Dhan account holders.
- (iv) 8  crore  poor  families  registered  under  the  scheme  of Ujjwala will get 1 gas cylinder, per family per month free of cost for the next three months.
- (v) MNREGA  wage  has  been  increased  Rs.202/-  a  day  from Rs.182/-, which will benefit 13.62 crore families.
- (vi) An  ex-gratia  financial  assistance  of  Rs.1000/-  per  person will  be  given  to  3  crore  poor  senior  citizen,  poor  widows and  poor  disabled.  Rs.2814.5  Crores  disbursed  to  about 2.81 crores old age persons, widows and disabled persons in two installments.
- (vii) Rs.17,891 Crore front loaded towards payment of the first installment of PM-KISAN Yojana to 8.94 crore beneficiaries.
- (viii) Wage-earners earning below Rs.15000/per month  in establishment  having  less  than  100  workers,  would  be given 24% of their monthly wages into their PF accounts, per person, per month for next three months.
- (ix) 2.03 crores Building and Other Construction workers have been  given  cash  assistance  of  Rs.5000  crores  (approx.) from the cess fund.
- (x) 30 lakh BOC workers have been given food packages relief also from cess fund.
- (b) to (e): 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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