Lok Sabha Question No. 2522 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-08-01
Subject: Welfare/Condition of skilled and unskilled Migrant Labourers
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Jual Oram

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2522

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 01.08.2022

## WELFARE/CONDITION OF SKILLED AND UNSKILLED MIGRANT LABOURERS

2522. SHRI ADHIR RANJAN CHOWDHURY: SHRI JUAL ORAM:

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

- (a)the  details  of  the  schemes/programmes  launched/implemented  by the  Government  for  the  welfare  of  the  skilled  and  the  unskilled migrant labourers in the country;
- (b)whether  the  Government  has  conducted/is  considering  to  conduct any study/survey in respect of prevailing conditions of the migrant workers at working places and in view of covid-19 pandemic;
- (c)if so, the details thereof; and
- (d)the steps taken/being taken by the Government to bring improvement in the overall conditions of the workers as well as in their safety and health conditions?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SHRI RAMESWAR TELI)

(a): Migrant  workers  are  engaged  in  various  occupations  and the  Government  is  implementing  several  social  security  and  welfare schemes for migrant  and other workers engaged in such occupations. Some of the prominent schemes are as follows;

Pradhan  Mantri  Jeevan  Jyoti  Bima  Yojana  (PMJJBY)  and Pradhan  Mantri  Suraksha  Bima  Yojana  (PMSBY)  launched  in  2015 provide for life & disability cover due to natural or accidental death. Pradhan  Mantri  Shram  Yogi  Man  Dhan  Pension  Scheme  (PM-SYM) launched in  2019  provides  for  old   age social security in the form of

monthly pension. Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY)  launched  in  2018  provides  Rs.5  lakh  health  coverage  for secondary and tertiary health benefits to those migrant workers who are covered as eligible beneficiaries as per deprivation and occupation criteria. PM-SVANidhi Scheme  facilitates collateral free working capital loan of upto Rs.10,000/- for one-year tenure to street vendors. Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana caters to the housing needs of all eligible beneficiaries.  During  Covid-19  pandemic  period  since  March,  2020, Union  Government  has  taken  several  additional  measures  for  the benefits of workers, such as; creation of 39.51 lakh new  job opportunities  by  crediting  Rs.2583  crores  in  EPF  accounts  under Atmanirbhar Bharat Rozgar Yojana (ABRY), benefits of Rs.2567 crores to retain 38.91 lakh low wage employees under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan  Yojana  (PMGKY),  financial  assistance  of  Rs.7413  crore  to Building & other Construction Workers (BOCW), unemployment benefit under  Atal  Beemit  Vyakti  Kalyan  Yojana  (ABVKY),  Pradhan  Mantri Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyan (PMGKRA)  generating 50.78 crore mandays with Rs.39,293 crores, free food grain of 5 kg per person per month to all Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) beneficiaries and special training programme under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana  (PMKVY)  Scheme  as  a  part  of  Garib  Kalyan  Rojgar  Abhiyaan (GKRA) in the districts having high concentration of returnee migrants.

(b) & (c): Government  of  India has entrusted Labour  Bureau to conduct  All  India  Survey  on  Migrant  Workers  with  the  objective  to generate  basic  quantitative  information  on  migrant  workers  and  the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on their work. The survey also aims to throw light on the socio-economic conditions of migrant workers, their education  level,  vocational/technical  training,  gender,  social  group, accommodation (housing), consumption expenditure, income, financial inclusion,  and  change  in  income  after  migration.  The  survey  was launched on 1st April, 2021.

Ministry of Labour & Employment  has also launched eSHRAM portal, a National Database of the Unorganised Workers on 26th August, 2021. It has been made available to the States/UTs for registration  of  unorganised  workers  including  migrant  workers.  The main objective of the e-SHRAM portal is to create a national database of unorganised workers seeded  with  Aadhaar.   It aims  to    facilitate

delivery of Social Security and welfare Schemes to such workers. The portal also aims to facilitate portability of benefits of welfare schemes to  the  migrant  workers.  As    on    27.07.2022,  more  than  28.02  crore unorganised workers have been registered on this portal.

(d): In order to safeguard the interests of the migrant workers, the Central Government had enacted the Inter-state Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979. This Act  has  now  been  subsumed  in  the  Occupational  Safety,  Health  and the Working Conditions (OSH) Code. The OSH Code provides for decent working conditions, minimum wages, grievance redressal mechanisms, protection from abuse and exploitation, enhancement of skills and social security to all categories of workers including migrant workers.

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