Lok Sabha Question No. 1056 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-02-08
Subject: Migrant Workers
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Manickam Tagore B

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1056 TO BE ANSWERED ON 08.02.2021

## MIGRANT WORKERS

1056. SHRI MANICKAM TAGORE B.:

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

- (a)whether  the  Government  is  concerned  about  the  loss  of  employment particularly for the migrant workers across the country; (b)if  so,  whether  the  Government  has  conducted  any  study  to  identify  the number of workers who had lost their jobs due to Covid pandemic; and (c)if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  all  the  remedial  actions  taken  by  the
- Government to provide assistance to the affected workers?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE (IC) FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## (SHRI SANTOSH KUMAR GANGWAR)

(a) to (c): Ministry of Labour and Employment issued comprehensive Advisory Guidelines on 27th July, 2020 to all the States/UTs for Covid safety and welfare of the migrant workers returning to their workplaces in the destination states. States/UTs  where  requested  to  take  adequate  steps  to  stream  line  the Migration of the Workers and to implement the advisory guidelines by quickly gearing  up  their  labour  Law  enforcement  machinery  and  ensuring  statutory complains by all the stake holders which would provide Migrant Workers much needed help to mitigate the financial crisis and empower them to deal with the pandemic. The number of Migrant Workers who returned to their home State during lockdown is at Annexure. The global spread of the corona virus (COVID19) followed by lockdowns has affected economies across the globe including India. Government has taken several steps to ensure that the country is well prepared to face the challenges and threats posed by Covid-19. The details of the remedial measures taken by the Government to provide assistance to the effected workers are as under:

1. In order to resolve the grievances of workers including migrant workers during lockdown, Ministry of Labour and Employment set up 20 Control Rooms all  over  the  country.  During  lockdown,  more  than  15000  complaints  of  the workers  were  resolved through these Control Rooms  and  due  to  the intervention  of  Ministry  more  than  two  lakh  workers  were  paid  their  due wages amounting to about Rs. 295 crores.
2. Various  initiatives  have  been  taken  by  the  Ministry  of  Labour  and Employment  as  part  of  Pradhan  Mantri  Garib  Kalyan  Yojana(PMGKY)  and Atmanirbhar  Bharat  which,  interalia,  include  (i)  payment  of  12%  employers' share  and  12%  employees'  share  under  Employees'  Provident  Fund  (EPF), totalling 24% by the Government of India for six wage months from March to August, 2020 for all the establishments having up to 100 employees with 90% of such employees earning less than Rs.15,000 monthly wage; (ii) reduction in PF contribution from 12% to 10% of wages for the wage months of May, June and July, 2020; (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; and (vi) for taking preventive measures to contain the spread of Covid - 19.
3. 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.
4. In  response  to  the  Government  of  India's  directions,  the  State  Welfare Boards  have  cumulatively  disbursed  around  Rs.5000  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.
5. 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 was  also 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.

6. For the benefit of 50 lakh street vendors, Government of India has also launched  SVANidhi  Scheme  to  provide  them  collateral  free  working  capital loan  upto  Rs.10,000/-  to  resume  their  lost  livelihood  due  to  Covid  and  lockdown.
7. To provide employment to the migrant workers Ministry of Transport and Highways has identified the ongoing works/new works for the road construction.
8. 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.
9. Ministry of Food Processing Industries have sanctioned 700 food processing/preservation and infrastructure projects in which migrant labourers can be  employed.
10. Financial  package  of  Rupees  Twenty  Seven  lakh  crore  (aprox)  under 'Aatm  Nirbhar  Bharat'  has  been  launched  specifically  to  inter-alia  create employment opportunities, for migrant workers, workers of unorganized sector, strengthening  of  MSME  Sector  and  promoting  rural  economy.  It  includes several initiatives for all these sectors.
11. Ministry of Labour & Employment  has taken the decision to extend the scheme of Atal Beemit Kalyan Yojna for another one year i.e. from 1st July, 2020  to  30  th  June,  2021.  It  has  also  been  decided  to  enhance  the  rate  of unemployment relief under the scheme to 50% of wages from earlier rate of 25%  along  with  relaxation  of  eligibility  conditions  for  insured  workers  who have lost their employment due to COVID-19 pandemic and related lockdown.

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## Annexure

## Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) to (c) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1056 for 08.02.2021 regarding Migrant Workers

526900

| SL No   | Name of the State                  | No. of Migrant workers belonging to this State who have returned to their home State *   |
|---------|------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1       | Andhra Pradesh                     | 32,571                                                                                   |
| 2       | Andaman and Nicobar                | 4,960                                                                                    |
| 3       | Arunachal Pradesh                  | 2,871                                                                                    |
| 4       | Assam                              | 4,26,441                                                                                 |
| 5       | Bihar                              | 15,00,612                                                                                |
| 6       | Chandigarh                         | 39230                                                                                    |
| 7       | Chhattisgarh                       | 526900                                                                                   |
| 8       | Dadra &Nagar Haveli and Daman &Diu | 43,747                                                                                   |
| 9       | Delhi                              | 2,047                                                                                    |
| 10      | Goa                                | 85620                                                                                    |
| 11      | Gujarat                            | 0                                                                                        |
| 12      | Haryana                            | 1,289                                                                                    |
| 13      | Himachal Pradesh                   | 18,652                                                                                   |
| 14      | Jammu &Kashmir                     | 48,780                                                                                   |
| 15      | Jharkhand                          | 5,30,047                                                                                 |
| 16      | Karnataka                          | 1,34,438                                                                                 |
| 17      | Kerala                             | 3,11,124                                                                                 |
| 18      | Ladakh                             | 50                                                                                       |
| 19      | Lakshadweep                        | 456                                                                                      |
| 20      | Madhya Pradesh                     | 7,53,581                                                                                 |
| 21      | Maharashtra                        | 1,82,990                                                                                 |
| 22      | Manipur                            | 12,338                                                                                   |
| 23      | Meghalaya                          | 4,266                                                                                    |
| 24      | Mizoram                            | 8446                                                                                     |
| 25      | Nagaland                           | 11,750                                                                                   |
| 26      | Odisha                             | 853,777                                                                                  |
| 27      | Puducherry                         | 1,694                                                                                    |
| 28      | Punjab                             | 5,15,642                                                                                 |
| 29      | Rajasthan                          | 13,08,130                                                                                |
| 30      | Sikkim                             | 33,015                                                                                   |
| 31      | Tamil Nadu                         | 72,145                                                                                   |
| 32      | Telangana                          | 37,050                                                                                   |
| 33      | Tripura                            | 34,247                                                                                   |
| 34      | Uttar Pradesh                      | 32,49,638                                                                                |
| 35      | Uttarakhand                        | 1,97,128                                                                                 |
| 36      | West Bengal                        | 13,84,693                                                                                |
|         | Total                              | 1,14,30,968                                                                              |

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