Lok Sabha Question No. 3108 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-12-31
Subject: Welfare of Migrant Workers
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: ARVIND GANPAT SAWANT, PREM SINGH CHANDUMAJRA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3108

TO BE ANSWERED ON 31.12.2018

## WELFARE OF MIGRANT WORKERS

3108. SHRI ARVIND SAWANT: PROF. PREM SINGH CHANDUMAJRA:

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

- (a)whether the Government has any statistics/data on the number of migrant  workers  in  the  country  and  if  so,  the  details  thereof, State/UT-wise;
- (b)the  details  of  specific  schemes  such  as  Awaaz  Health  Insurance Scheme  launched  by  the  State  Government  of  Kerala  for  migrant workers in the State being implemented/proposed to be implemented by the Government for the welfare of migrant workers in the country;
- (c)whether the Government is aware of the migration of unemployed youth  from  the  rural  areas  of  the  country  and  if  so,  the  details thereof and the reasons therefor;
- (d)whether  the  Government  intends  to  review  the  existing  labour policy to check the migration of unemployed youths and if so, the details thereof;
- (e)the  minimum  wages  fixation  policy  for  such  migrant  unemployed youths in the country; and
- (f)the  remedial  measures  taken/being  taken  by  the  Government  to prevent migration of unemployed youth and contain them near their native places?

## ANSWER

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

(a): No such data is maintained by the Central Government.

- (b): Government  of  Kerala  has  introduced  a  Scheme  named 'Aawaz' with an intention to provide health insurance linked identity card  to  the  Migrant  Workers  in  the  State.  The  scheme  envisages providing treatment to the enrolled migrant labourers for an amount of Rs.15000/- per annum in the empanelled hospitals.
- (c) to (e): The problems of migration/migrant workers is sought to be addressed through a multi dimensional course of action through rural development, provision of improved infrastructural facilities, equitable dispersal  of  resources  to  remove  regional  disparities,  employment generation, land reforms, increased literacy, financial assistance etc. .The Government has enacted the Unorganized Workers Social Security Act, 2008 to provide for the welfare of unorganized 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. In addition, the Central Government has recently  converged  the  social  security  schemes  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 including  migrant  workers  for  the  age  group  of  18  to  50  years depending upon their eligibility. Converged PMJJBY gives coverage of Rs.  2  lakhs  on  death  at  premium  of  Rs.  330/-  per  annum  while Converged PMSBY gives coverage of Rs. 2 lakhs on accidental death and  disability  at  premium  of        Rs.  12  per  annum.  These  converged schemes  are  being  implemented  by  Life  Insurance  Corporation  of India.  The  annual  premium  is  shared  on  50:50  basis  by  the  Central Government and the State Governments. In Order to      safe guard the interests of the migrant workers, the Government has also enacted Inter State Migrant Workmen  ( Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979 which, Iter-alia, provides for payment of minimum  wages,  journey allowance, displacement allowance, residential accommodation, medical facilities and protective clothing etc. to the eligible          inter -state migrant workers.
- (f): To  prevent  distress  migration  of  unemployed  work  force, the Government has enacted Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment  Guarantee  Act,  2005  which  aims  at  enhancing  the livelihood security of people in rural areas by guaranteeing a minimum hundred  days  of  wage-employment  in  a  financial  year  to  a  rural household,   whose adult member volunteers to do unskilled manual

work. With an objective to generate self-employment opportunities in rural  and  urban  areas,  as  well  as  enhancing  the  Skills  of  Migrant Workers,  the  Ministry  of  Skill  Development  and  Entrepreneurship (MSDE)  is  implementing  various  skill  development  schemes.  The objective  of  these  schemes  is  to  enable  a  large  number  of  Indian Youth to take up industry-relevant skill training that will help them in secure a better Livelihood. Further, under the Deen Dayal Antoyadaya Yojana -National Rural livelihoods Mission, funding & training through Rural Self Employment training Institutes is provided for entrepreneurship or self-employment.

The Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), is also implementing a placement linked skill development program called the DDU-GKY  -  Deen  Dayal  Upadhyaya  Grameen  Kaushalya  Yojana  for providing migration support facilities to skilled migrant workers in the country by setting up Migration Support Centres. The Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) provides a grant of Rs.10.00 lakhs per Migration Support Centre (MSC) per annum.

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