Lok Sabha Question No. 56 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-07-19
Subject: Covid-19 Relief to States
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Chandra Sekhar Sahu, Bidyut Baran Mahato, Shrirang Appa Barne, Sanjay Sadashivrao Mandlik, Sudheer Gupta

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 56

TO BE ANSWERED ON 19.07.2021

## COVID-19 RELIEF TO STATES

56. SHRI CHANDRA SEKHAR SAHU:

SHRI BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO:

SHRI SHRIRANG APPA BARNE:

SHRI SANJAY SADASHIVRAO MANDLIK:

SHRI SUDHEER GUPTA:

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

- (a)whether the Union Government has sanctioned/ released Covid-19 relief grant to any States in the country to disburse it to migrated workers, construction workers and other daily wage workers to compensate them due to lockdown of various companies/industries etc.;
- (b)if so, whether the Government has any plans to provide/restore jobs to those who lost their jobs due to the impact of Covid-19 pandemic;
- (c)if so, the details thereof;
- (d)whether the Government proposes to provide adequate financial support to  the  affected  companies  so  that  the  jobs  lost  due  to  the  impact  of pandemic may be restored or new jobs are created; and (e)if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SHRI BHUPENDER YADAV)

- (a) to (e): In  the  backdrop  of  a  challenging  situation  led  due  to  the outbreak  of  Covid-19  which  led  to  financial  constraints,  specifically  to unorganized workers and in order to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and the welfare  of  workers,  all  the  States/UTs  were  advised  to  frame  a  scheme under  Section  22(1)(h)  of  the  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,  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 (approx.) BOCW 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 Covid-19, Rs. 1795.482/- Crores have been disbursed through DBT, to the bank accounts of 1.23 Crores (approx.)

The  Central  Government  has  issued  comprehensive  Advisory Guidelines  on  27.07.2020  to  all  the  States/UTs  for  the  welfare  of  the migrant  workers  returning  to  the  destination  States  in  the  backdrop  of Covid-19.  The  States/UTs  have  been  advised  to  implement  the  advisory guidelines by quickly gearing up their Labour Law enforcement machinery and  ensuring  statutory  compliance  by  all  the  stake-holders  which  could provide migrant workers much needed help to mitigate the financial crisis and empower them to deal with the pandemic. The States/UTs have also been advised to maintain updated data of the migrant workers to facilitate the  administration  to  extend  benefits  of  the  welfare  schemes  of  the

Government to the migrant workers.

Apart  from  this,  several  initiatives  have  been  taken  by  the Ministry of Labour and Employment as part of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana(PMGKY)  and  Atmanirbhar  Bharat  which,  inter-alia,  include  (i) payment  of  12%  employers'  share  and  12%  employees'  share  under Employees'  Provident  Fund  (EPF),  totaling  24%  of  the  wages    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; (vi) using Building and other construction workers (BOCW) cess fund for transfer of funds in the bank account of construction workers affected by COVID-19 outbreak. In addition to above, measures have also been taken by other Ministries/Departments under PMGKY  to  support  the  poor including migrant workers, such as, provision of food grains, gas cylinders free of cost,  direct  transfer  of  financial  assistance  into  bank  account  of  the beneficiaries etc. Government has also taken initiatives for creating jobs at  local  level  and  supporting  migrant  workers  through  Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Rozgar Abhiyaan.

In the second wave of COVID-19, with a view to ensuring food security, health safety and transport facilities to the migrant workers, the Ministry  of  Labour  &  Employment  has  been  regularly  conducting  review cum coordination meetings with the States and UTs. Till now, eight such meetings  have  been  conducted  via  Video-Conferencing  on  13.04.2021, 23.04.2021,  06.05.2021,  13.05.2021,  20.05.2021,  27.05.2021,  03.06.2021 and 10.06.2021.

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