Lok Sabha Question No. 33 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-07-18
Subject: People Engaged in Unorganized Sector
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Dharambir Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA LOK SABHA

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 33 TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.07.2022

## PEOPLE ENGAGED IN UNORGANIZED SECTOR

## †33.  SHRI DHARAMBIR SINGH:

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

- (a)the data of people engaged in unorganized sector available with the Government  and  the  steps  being  taken  by  the  Government  to regulate  unorganized  labour  sector  in  the  country  particularly  in Haryana;
- (b)whether any data has been compiled by the Government in order to ascertain  the  number  of  persons  who  lost  their  jobs  during  Covid pandemic  period  from  year  2019  to  2021  and  whether  any  steps have  been  taken  for  the  welfare  and  rehabilitation  of  the  people who lost their jobs in unorganized sector;
- (c)whether any policy to review retrenchment laws for labourers and employees  has  been  devised  by  the  Government  in  view  of  the pandemic; and
- (d)if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

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

(a): The  Government  has  launched  e-Shram  portal  in  August, 2021  with  an  objective  to  create  National  Database  of  unorganised workers and to facilitate delivery of Social Security Schemes/ Welfare Schemes  to  the  unorganised  workers.  As  on  13.07.2022,  more  than 27.96  crore  unorganised  workers  have  been  registered  on  e-Shram Portal.  Labour  is  in  the  Concurrent  List  of  the  Constitution  and  the Central Government and State Governments as an appropriate Government  administer and regulate  the labour  laws,  such  as,  the Minimum Wages Act, 1948 in their respective sphere.

Contd..2/-

(b): The  data  on  Employment  and  Unemployment  is  collected through Periodic Labour  Force  Survey  (PLFS)  conducted  by  the Ministry  of  Statistics  &  Programme  Implementation  (MoSPI)  since 2017-18.  The  survey  period  of  PLFS  is  July  to  June.  As  per  the available Annual  PLFS  Reports, the year-wise  estimated  Worker Population Ratio (WPR), and Unemployment Rate (UR) on usual status for  persons  of  age  15  years  and  above  during  2018-19,  2019-20  and 2020-21 are given below:

(in %)

| Years   |   WPR |   UR |
|---------|-------|------|
| 2018-19 |  47.3 |  5.8 |
| 2019-20 |  50.9 |  4.8 |
| 2020-21 |  52.6 |  4.2 |

Source : PLFS, MoSPI

The data in the above table indicates that Worker Population Ratio increased and on the other hand Unemployment Rate declined during 2018-19 to 2020-21.

The Government has announced Aatmanirbhar Bharat package to provide stimulus to business and to mitigate the adverse impact of Covid 19. Under this package, the Government is providing fiscal  stimulus  of  more  than  Rupees  Twenty  Seven  lakh  crore.  This package  comprises  of  various  long  term  schemes/  programmes/ policies for making the country self-reliant and to create employment opportunities.

The  Aatmanirbhar  Bharat  Rojgar  Yojana  (ABRY)  has  been launched with effect from 1st October, 2020 to incentivize employers for creation of new employment and restoration of loss of employment during Covid-19  pandemic.  The  terminal  date  for registration of beneficiaries  was  31.03.2022.  As  on  13.07.2022  benefits  have  been provided to 59.54 lakh beneficiaries out of which 53.23 lakh beneficiaries have joined as new joinees.

Government is implementing Prime Minister Street Vendor's AtmaNirbhar  Nidhi  (PM  SVANidhi  Scheme)  since  June  01,  2020  to facilitate  collateral  free  working  capital  loan  to  street  vendors  to restart  their  businesses,  which  were  adversely  impacted  during  the Covid-19 pandemic. As on July 11, 2022, 33.34 lakh loans amounting to ₹ 3,615 Crore have been disbursed to 30.26 lakh beneficiaries under the scheme.

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), totalling 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 providing 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)  was  enhanced  to  50%  from  25%  of  the  average eligibility wage, payable upto 90 days, alongwith relaxation of conditions to claim the benefit.

Further, Budget 2021-22 launched Production Linked Incentive (PLI)  schemes, with an outlay of Rs. 1.97 lakh crore, for a period  of  5  years  starting  from  2021-22.  The  PLI  Schemes  being implemented  by  the  Government  have  potential  for  creating  60  lakh new  jobs.    The  PLI  scheme  is  implemented  by  the  concerned Ministries/Departments  within  the  overall  financial  limits  prescribed. The guidelines/directions of PLI scheme are issued by the respective Ministries/Departments.

Besides  these  initiatives,  various  flagship  programmes  of the  Government  such  as  Make  in  India,  Start-up  India,  Digital  India, Smart City Mission, Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation,  Prime  Minister's  Employment  Generation  Programme (PMEGP),  Mahatma  Gandhi  National  Rural  Employment  Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY), Deen Dayal Antodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM)  etc. are also oriented towards generating  employment  opportunities.  Further,  PM  GatiShakti  is  a transformative approach of Government of India which is powered by Clean Energy and Sabka Prayas leading to huge job and entrepreneurial opportunities for all.

(c) & (d): All the existing Central Labour Laws including the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 relating to retrenchment have been reviewed and the Industrial Relations Code, 2020, has been passed by the Parliament.    The  Industrial  Relations  Code,  2020,  inter  alia,  includes provisions  relating  to  retrenchment,  lay-off,  closure,  severance  pay, and  notice  period  and  also  a  new  provisions  relating  to  Re-skilling Fund.

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