Lok Sabha Question No. 2335 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-12-13
Subject: Rehabilitation-Welfare and Employment
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Kanakmal Katara, Vivek Narayan Shejwalkar

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2335

TO BE ANSWERED ON 13.12.2021

## REHABILITATION-WELFARE AND EMPLOYMENT

†2335. SHRI KANAKMAL KATARA:

SHRI VIVEK NARAYAN SHEJWALKAR:

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

- (a)whether  the  Government  proposes  to  start  an  enterprise-level survey in Rajasthan and if so, the details thereof;
- (b)the steps taken by the Government to generate employment in the
- unorganized sector and if so, the details thereof;
- (c)the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  for  the  rehabilitation-welfare and  employment  of  migrant  workers  who  have  returned  from different states during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown;
- (d)whether  the  survey  is  being  conducted  by  the  Labour  Bureau  on quarterly basis and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e)whether the Government has conducted any survey to ascertain the number  of  people  who  have  been  rendered  jobless  by  global pandemic  COVID-19  and  if  so,  the  details  thereof;  and  the  action plan of the Government to re-employ them?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) to (e): Labour Bureau, under the Ministry of Labour & Employment, has been entrusted with the task of conducting the Quarterly Employment  Survey  (QES)  as  a  component  of  All  India  Quarterly Establishment based Employment Survey (AQEES). It is an enterpriselevel survey to be conducted on all India level, including the State of Rajasthan.  The  Quarterly  Employment  Survey  report  as  on  1 st   April, 2021  collected  the  information  on  the  Covid-19  pandemic  impact  on the operational status and employment status of the establishments in the selected 9 sectors.

Government  is  providing fiscal stimulus of  more  than Rupees twenty seven lakh crore as part of  the  Aatmanirbhar  Bharat financial  Package  which  comprises  of  various  long  term  schemes/ programmes/ policies specifically to create employment opportunities, for migrant workers, workers of unorganized sector, strengthening of MSME Sector and promoting rural economy.

Besides,  initiatives    taken  by  the  Ministry  of  Labour  and

Employment include the following:

- (i)  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 lakh
- been provided to 39.43 lakh beneficiaries through 1.15 establishments.
- (ii)  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 such employees earning less than Rs. 15000/. This has helped in protecting employment  in  EPFO  registered  establishments  during  post  Covid
- establishments having upto 100 employees with 90% of period.
- (iii)  Non-refundable  Covid  advance from  the  PF  by amending  the  EPF Scheme, 1952;
- (iv) Extension in the date of filing of returns;
- (v) Issuing advisory to promptly attend to distress calls of workers/employees and also guide them in temporary shelters;
- (vi) Using Building and Other Construction workers (BOCW) cess fund for  transfer  of  adequate  funds  in  the  bank  account  of  construction workers affected by Covid-19 outbreak; and

(vii) Taking preventive measures to contain the spread of Covid -19.

Approximately  80  crore  beneficiaries  have  been  provided additional 5 kg wheat or rice and 1 kg of preferred pulses, free of cost every  month  till  November,  2020  under  provisions  of  National  Food Security Act.  In response to the Government of India's directions, the State  Welfare  Boards  have  cumulatively  disbursed  around  Rs.5,000 crore,  to  approx.  1.83  crore  Building  and  Other  Construction  (BOC) Workers during lockdown and thereafter. In addition to this, around 30

lakh BOC workers were also  provided food relief packages.

Further, in order to boost employment  and  livelihood opportunities for migrant workers returning to villages, in the wake of COVID-19  outbreak,  Ministry  of  Rural  Development,  Government  of India launched Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan on 20th June 2020. The Abhiyaan  focussed  on  durable  rural infrastructure and  providing modern facilities like internet in the villages. Skill Mapping of the rural migrant  labour  is  also  being  done  to  enhance  their  employability  on the  basis  of  the  skills,  they  possess  to  enable  them  work  closer  to their homes. 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.  The  Abhiyaan  has  already generated 50,78,68,671 man-days.

For  the  benefit  of  50  lakh  street  vendors,  Government  of India has also launched SVANidhi Scheme to provide them collateral lost free working  capital loan upto Rs.10,000/to resume  their livelihood due to Covid and lock-down.

To provide employment to the migrant workers Ministry of Transport and Highways has identified the ongoing works/new works for the road construction.

In rural areas, wages under MGNREGA have been enhanced  from  Rs.182  to  Rs.202  per  day  for  the  benefit  of  rural workers including returning migrant workers.

Ministry  of  Food  Processing  Industries  have  sanctioned  700 food  processing/preservation  and  infrastructure  projects  in  which migrant labourers can be employed.

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