Lok Sabha Question No. 149 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-11-29
Subject: Employment Schemes
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Omprakash Bhupalsinh alias Pawan Rajenimbalkar, Krupal Balaji Tumane

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

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 149 TO BE ANSWERED ON 29 TH  NOVEMBER, 2021

## EMPLOYMENT SCHEMES

## 149.  SHRI OMPRAKASH BHUPALSINH alias PAWAN RAJENIMBALKAR: SHRI KRUPAL BALAJI TUMANE:

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

- (a) the details of the schemes of the Government to reduce unemployment which is increasing continuously in the country;
- (b)  whether  the  employment  opportunities  have  reduced  and  the  percentage  of unemployment has increased in the country during the last six months; if so, the details thereof;
- (c)  whether  the  Government  proposes  to  provide  any  financial  assistance  to  the people  who  have  lost  their  jobs  during  the  second  wave  of  Covid-19;  if  so,  the
- details thereof;
- (d)  the  State/UT-wise number of casual/contractual workers retrenched during the second wave of Covid-19 pandamic;
- (e) the details of welfare measures to compensate the said workers for losing their jobs  along  with  the  number  of  workers  who  have  been  provided  adequate compensation; and
- (f)  whether  the  Government  has  implemented  any  scheme  to  provide  financial assistance to the said workers/ labourers and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

- (a)  to  (c):  Employment  generation  coupled  with  improving  employability  is  the priority  of  the  Government.  Government  has  taken  various  steps  for  generating employment in the country like encouraging various projects involving substantial investment  and  increasing  public  expenditure  on  schemes  like  Prime  Minister's Employment  Generation  Programme  (PMEGP),  Mahatma  Gandhi  National  Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya  Yojana  (DDU-GKY)  and  Deendayal  Antodaya  Yojana-National  Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM)  run  by  Ministry of  Micro,  Small  &  Medium Enterprises, Ministry of Rural Development and Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, respectively.

As per the results of  Periodic  Labour  Force  Survey  (PLFS)  conducted  by  National Statistical  Office  (NSO),  Ministry  of  Statistics  and  Programme  Implementation during 2017-18 and 2019-20, the estimated Unemployment Rate (UR) on usual status basis for 15 years and above decreased from 6.0% in 2017-18 to 4.8% in 2019-20 respectively.

Government is providing fiscal stimulus of more than Rs. twenty seven lakh crore as part  of  the  Aatmanirbhar  Bharat  financial  Package.  Aatmanirbhar  Bharat  package comprises various long term schemes/ programmes/ policies for making the country self-reliant and to create employment opportunities.

Prime  Minister  Street  Vendor's  Atma  Nirbhar  Nidhi  (PM  SVANidhi)  Scheme  was launched  on  June  01,  2020  to  provide  working  capital  loan  to  Street  Vendors, vending in urban areas, to resume their businesses, which were hurt adversely due to COVID-19 induced lockdown.

Under  Pradhan  Mantri  Garib  Kalyan  Yojana  (PMGKY),  Government  of  India  has contributed both 12% employer's share and 12% employee's share under Employees Provident Fund (EPF), totaling 24% of the wage for the wage month from March to August, 2020 for  the establishments having upto 100 employees with 90% of such employees earning less than Rs. 15000/-.This has helped in protecting employment in EPFO registered establishments during post Covid period.

Government had launched the Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan (GKRA) of 125 days on 20th  June,  2020  to  boost  employment  and  livelihood  opportunities  for  returnee migrant workers and similarly affected persons including youth in rural areas, in 116 selected  districts  across  6  States  of  Bihar,  Jharkhand,  Madhya  Pradesh,  Odisha, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

The  unemployment  benefit  under  the  Atal  Beemit  Vyakti  Kalyan  Yojana  being implemented  by  the  Employees'  State  Insurance  Corporation  (ESIC)  has  been enhanced to 50% from 25% of the average wage, payable upto 90 days, alongwith relaxation of eligibility conditions to claim the benefit.

Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) is being implemented by the Government inter alia, for facilitating self-employment. Under PMMY collateral free loans upto Rs. 10 lakh, are extended to micro/small business enterprises and to individuals to enable them to setup or expand their business activities.

In  addition,  RBI  and  Government  of  India  have  introduced  measures  to  infuse liquidity  in  the  economy  to  sustain  the  market  economy  and  raise  the  level  of employment.

The flagship programmes of the Government such as Make in India, Digital India, Smart  City  Mission,  Atal  Mission  for  Rejuvenation  and  Urban  Transformation, Housing for All, Infrastructure development and Industrial corridors and Production-

Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme are oriented to generate productive and sustainable employment opportunities.

(d) to (f): As per the result of the first round of Quarterly Employment Survey (QES) for  the  period  April  to  June,  2021,  Sector-wise  Impact  on  Number  of  Employees during Lockdown Period (25 th  March 2020 to 30 th  June 2020)  is at Annexure.

Government  administers  the Building  &  Other  Construction  Workers  (BOCW) (RE&CS) Act, 1996 [BOCW (RE&CS) Act, 1996], BOCW Welfare Cess Act, 1996 and its related rules, and the onus of implementation of the provisions of the Acts and its  related  rules  lies  with  the  States/UTs  through  their  State/UT  BOCW  Welfare Boards.  As  per  Section  22  of  the  BOCW  (RE&CS)  Act,  1996,  the  State  /  UT Governments  through  State  /  UT  BOCW  Welfare  Boards  are  empowered  and entrusted for making provisions for providing Social Security and implementation of welfare schemes for Building and Other Construction Workers.

Further, in the backdrop of a challenging situation due to the outbreak of Covid-19 which led to financial constraints among the Building & Other Construction Workers (BOCW), the States/UTs were issued Advisory under Section 60 of the BOCW(RE&CS) Act, 1996 to frame a scheme under Section 22(1)(h) of BOCW(RE&CS)  Act,  1996  for  transfer  of  adequate  funds  in  the  Bank  accounts  of construction workers, through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) Mode.

In  response  to  advisory,  during  the  1st  wave  of  Covid-19,  the  State/UT  BOCW Welfare  Boards  have  cumulatively  disbursed  more  than  Rs.  5618  Crores,  through DBT,  to  the  bank  accounts  of  1.83  Crores  BOC  Workers  during  lockdown  and thereafter.  Food  relief  packages  have  also  been  provided  by  the  States/UTs  to around 30 lakh workers from the cess fund. Further, during the 2nd wave of Covid19, Rs. 1795 Crores have been disbursed through DBT, to the bank accounts of 1.23 Crores BOC Workers.

Aatmanirbhar  Bharat  Rojgar  Yojana  (ABRY)  was  launched  with  effect  from  1 st October, 2020 as part of Atmanirbhar Bharat package 3.0 to incentivize  employers for creation of new employment along with social security benefits and restoration of loss of employment during Covid-19 pandemic. This scheme being implemented through  Employees'  Provident  Fund  Organisation  (EPFO),  seeks  to  reduce  the financial burden of the employers and encourages them to hire more workers. The terminal date for registration of beneficiaries has been extended from 30.06.2021 to 31.03.2022. As on 20.11.2021, benefit has been provided to 39.43 lakh beneficiaries through 1.15 lakh establishments.

*****

Annexure

Annex referred to in reply to part (d) to (f) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 149 for 29.11.2021

Sector-wise Impact on Number of Employees during Lockdown Period (25 th  March 2020 to 30 th  June 2020)

|         |                             | Number of Employees (in Lakhs)             | Number of Employees (in Lakhs)             | Number of Employees (in Lakhs)   | Number of Employees (in Lakhs)   |
|---------|-----------------------------|--------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
| Sl. No. | Sectors                     | Prior to Lockdown (before 25th March 2020) | Prior to Lockdown (before 25th March 2020) | As on 1st July 2020)             | As on 1st July 2020)             |
|         |                             | M                                          | F                                          | M                                | F                                |
| 1       | Manufacturing               | 98.7                                       | 26.7                                       | 87.9                             | 23.3                             |
| 2       | Construction                | 5.8                                        | 1.8                                        | 5.1                              | 1.5                              |
| 3       | Trade                       | 16.1                                       | 4.5                                        | 14.8                             | 4                                |
| 4       | Transport                   | 11.3                                       | 1.9                                        | 11.1                             | 1.9                              |
| 5       | Education                   | 38.2                                       | 29.5                                       | 36.8                             | 28.1                             |
| 6       | Health                      | 15                                         | 10.6                                       | 14.8                             | 10.1                             |
| 7       | Accommodation & Restaurants | 7                                          | 1.9                                        | 6.2                              | 1.7                              |
| 8       | IT /BPOs                    | 13.6                                       | 6.3                                        | 12.8                             | 6.1                              |
| 9       | Financial Services          | 11.5                                       | 5.9                                        | 11.3                             | 5.7                              |
| Total   | Total                       | 217.8                                      | 90                                         | 201.5                            | 83.3                             |

Note:  M - Male; F - Female. The number in the 'Total' row also take into account the 66 establishments found during the survey which belong to the sectors other than the nine selected sectors.