Lok Sabha Question No. 302 (STARRED), answered on 2022-08-08
Subject: Welfare Schemes for Beedi Workers
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: M. Selvaraj

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 302 TO BE ANSWERED ON 08.08.2022

## WELFARE SCHEMES FOR BEEDI WORKERS

*302. SHRI M. SELVARAJ:

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

- (a)the details of the current welfare schemes available for the beedi workers;
- (b)whether the Government has received any proposal to carry out an impact study of these schemes available for the beedi workers and whether these are reaching them on ground;
- (c)if so, the number of beedi workers benefited by the schemes for the last three years, State-wise;
- (d)whether the  Government  has any new  proposal for creating alternative employment opportunities for the beedi workers; and
- (e)whether the Government has any plan to announce special schemes for the women beedi workers in order to ensure protection of their health from the tobacco threat and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to  (e):  A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (a)  TO  (e)  OF  LOK SABHA  STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  *302  FOR  08.08.2022  RAISED  BY SHRI  M.  SELVARAJ  REGARDING  WELFARE  SCHEMES  FOR  BEEDI WORKERS.

- (a) to (e): Ministry of Labour and Employment runs a Labour Welfare Scheme for the Beedi workers and their family members. The scheme has three components namely Health, Scholarship & Housing. Details are as under:-
- (i) Health:- Health care facility is provided with a network of 285 Dispensaries  and  10  Hospitals  located  across  the  Country. There is also a provision for reimbursement of expenditure for specialized treatment under the Government recognized hospitals in case of critical diseases i.e. Cancer, Tuberculosis, Heart Diseases, Kidney Transplantation, Hernia, Appendectomy, Ulcer,  Gynecological  diseases  and  Prostrate  diseases  to  the beneficiaries.  The  scheme  covers  both  men  and  women  beedi workers.
- (ii)  Scholarship:- There is provision for Financial Assistance for education  to  the  wards  of Beedi  workers  from  class-I  to college/University  ranging  from  Rs.1000/-  to  Rs.25,000/-  per student per annum, depending upon class/course.
- (iii)  Housing:- Subsidy of Rs.1,50,000/- (per beneficiary) in three (03) installments at 25:60:15 ratio i.e. Rs.37,500, Rs.90,000 and Rs.22,500  respectively  for  construction  of  own  pucca  houses, under  Revised  Integrated  Housing  Scheme  (RIHS).  However, RIHS  has  now  been  converged  with  Pradhan  Mantri  Awash Yojana. The sunset of RIHS is 31.03.2023.

The  Labour  Welfare  Scheme  is  implemented  across  the country through Labour Welfare Organizations situated in 17 Regions. The number of Beedi workers benefited by the schemes, region wise for the last three years is attached at Annexure. No separate data is maintained for wards of beedi workers under scholarship scheme.

Ministry  of  Labour  &  Employment  in  collaboration  with Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship have been providing  Skill  Development  training  to  the  Beedi  Workers  and  their dependents to engage them in alternative jobs.

## ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (a)  TO  (e)  OF  LOK  SABHA  STARRED QUESTION NO. *302 FOR 08.08.2022 RAISED BY SHRI M. SELVARAJ REGARDING WELFARE SCHEMES FOR BEEDI WORKERS.

| Sl.No.   | Region             | Year                                            | Number of Beedi Workers Benefited under the Labour Welfare Scheme   | Number of Beedi Workers Benefited under the Labour Welfare Scheme   |
|----------|--------------------|-------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
|          |                    |                                                 | Health                                                              | Housing                                                             |
| 1        | ALLAHABAD          | 2019-20                                         | 141568                                                              | 43                                                                  |
| 1        | ALLAHABAD          | 2020-21                                         | 139989                                                              | 407                                                                 |
| 2        | AHMADABAD          | 2021-22                                         | 154090                                                              | 328                                                                 |
| 2        | AHMADABAD          | 2019-20                                         | 51832                                                               | 447                                                                 |
|          | AJMER              | 2020-21                                         | 35821                                                               | 1017                                                                |
|          | AJMER              | 2021-22                                         | 58898                                                               | 322                                                                 |
| 3        |                    | 2019-20                                         | 100338                                                              | 256                                                                 |
| 3        |                    | 2020-21                                         | 73004                                                               | 27                                                                  |
| 3        |                    | 2021-22                                         | 99950                                                               | 967                                                                 |
| 4        | BANGALORE          | 2019-20                                         | 294715                                                              | 69                                                                  |
| 4        | BANGALORE          | 2020-21                                         | 180508                                                              | 3                                                                   |
| 5        | BHUBANESWAR        | 2021-22                                         | 209546                                                              | 10                                                                  |
| 5        | BHUBANESWAR        | 2019-20                                         | 407120                                                              | 382                                                                 |
| 5        | BHUBANESWAR        | 2020-21                                         | 217332                                                              | 2343                                                                |
| 6        | HYDERABAD          | 2021-22                                         | 263494                                                              | 898                                                                 |
| 6        | HYDERABAD          | 2019-20 2020-21                                 | 184414 159809                                                       | 91 255                                                              |
| 7        | JABALPUR           | 2019-20                                         | 148951                                                              | 384                                                                 |
| 7        | JABALPUR           | 2020-21                                         | 116068                                                              | 3017                                                                |
| 8        | NAGPUR             | 2021-22                                         | 157514                                                              | 497                                                                 |
| 8        | NAGPUR             | 2020-21                                         | 66501                                                               | 348                                                                 |
|          |                    | 2019-20                                         | 153614                                                              | 892                                                                 |
|          |                    | 2021-22                                         | 94128                                                               | 250                                                                 |
| 9        | RANCHI             | 2019-20                                         | 56221                                                               | 321                                                                 |
| 9        | RANCHI             | 2020-21                                         | 46776                                                               | 1474                                                                |
| 10       | PATNA              | 2021-22                                         | 67107                                                               | 833                                                                 |
| 10       | PATNA              | 2020-21                                         | 37080                                                               |                                                                     |
|          |                    | 2019-20                                         | 27021                                                               | 82                                                                  |
|          |                    |                                                 |                                                                     | 1126                                                                |
| 11       | RAIPUR             | 2019-20                                         | 42564                                                               | 70                                                                  |
| 11       | RAIPUR             | 2020-21                                         | 25324                                                               | 85                                                                  |
| 11       | RAIPUR             | 2021-22                                         | 30393                                                               | 19                                                                  |
| 12       | THIRUVANANTHAPURAM | 2019-20                                         | 35282                                                               | 237                                                                 |
| 12       | THIRUVANANTHAPURAM | 2020-21                                         | 14877                                                               | 160                                                                 |
| 12       | THIRUVANANTHAPURAM | 2021-22                                         | 19458                                                               | 103                                                                 |
| 13       | KOLKATA            | 2019-20                                         | 248932                                                              | 0                                                                   |
| 13       | KOLKATA            | 2020-21                                         | 170943                                                              | 75                                                                  |
| 14       | GUWAHATI           | 2019-20                                         | 5006                                                                | 323                                                                 |
| 14       | GUWAHATI           | 2020-21                                         | 4691                                                                | 181                                                                 |
| 15       | CHENNAI            |                                                 |                                                                     |                                                                     |
| 15       | CHENNAI            | 2021-22 2019-20                                 | 8289 367732                                                         | 146 150                                                             |
|          |                    | 2020-21                                         | 242572                                                              | 315                                                                 |
|          |                    | 2021-22                                         | 248819                                                              | 28                                                                  |
| 16       | CHANDIGARH         | No registered Beedi Workers in Chandigarh       |                                                                     | region.                                                             |
| 17       | DEHARADUN          | No registered Beedi Workers in Dehradun region. | No registered Beedi Workers in Dehradun region.                     | No registered Beedi Workers in Dehradun region.                     |

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