Lok Sabha Question No. 2367 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-08-01
Subject: Seasonal Migrant Workers
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Jugal Kishore Sharma, Rama Devi, Geeta Kora, Navneet Ravi Rana, Riti Pathak, Jyotirmay Singh Mahato, Dileshwar Kamait, Chandan Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2367

TO BE ANSWERED ON 01.08.2022

## SEASONAL MIGRANT WORKERS

## 2367. SHRI JUGAL KISHORE SHARMA:

SHRIMATI RAMA DEVI:

SHRIMATI GEETA KORA:

SHRIMATI NAVNEET RAVI RANA:

SHRIMATI RITI PATHAK:

SHRI JYOTIRMAY SINGH MAHATO:

SHRI DILESHWAR KAMAIT:

SHRI CHANDAN SINGH:

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

- (a)whether  the  Labour  Bureau  under  the  Ministry  has  started  a
- national survey of migrant workers on 01.04.2021;
- (b)if  so,  the  number  of  seasonal  migrant  workers  migrating  from different States including Maharashtra and West Bengal each year along with the gender-wise details thereof;
- (c)whether  the  Government  has  taken  any  measures  to  address  the said  issue  by  providing  alternative  employment  opportunities  to seasonal  migrant  workers  in  their  villages  and  if  so,  the  details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (d)whether the migrant workers get less wages in comparison to the wages paid to the local workers and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(a) & (b): Labour  Bureau  has  launched    All  India  Survey  on  Migrant Workers  with effect from 1 st  April, 2021, with the following objectives:

- -to estimate the number of domestic/internal migrant workers in the country.
- -to  collect  data  on  their  household  characteristics,  socio  economic conditions and working conditions.
- -
- study the impact of COVID19 on their work.
- The survey is underway.
- (c): In order to safeguard the interests of the migrant workers, the Central Government had enacted the Inter-state Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979. This Act  has  now  been  subsumed  in  the  Occupational  Safety,  Health  and the Working Conditions (OSH) Code. The OSH Code provides for decent working conditions, minimum wages, grievance redressal mechanisms, protection from abuse and exploitation, enhancement of skills and social security to all categories of workers including migrant workers. Migrant workers are engaged in various occupations. Government of India has launched several social security and welfare schemes for workers including migrant workers. Some of the prominent schemes are as follows;
- (i)  Pradhan  Mantri  Jeevan  Jyoti  Bima  Yojana  (PMJJBY)  and  Pradhan Mantri  Suraksha  Bima  Yojana  (PMSBY)  launched  in  2015  provide  for life & disability cover due to natural or accidental death. (ii) Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Man Dhan Pension Scheme (PM-SYM) launched in 2019  provides  for  old  age  social  security  in  the  form  of  monthly pension.  (iii)  Ayushman  Bharat  Pradhan  Mantri  Jan  Arogya  Yojana (PMJAY)  launched  in  2018  provides  Rs.5  lakh  health  coverage  for secondary and tertiary health benefits to those migrant workers who are covered as eligible beneficiaries as per deprivation and occupation criteria.  (iv)  PM-SVANidhi  Scheme  facilitates  collateral  free  working capital loan of upto Rs.10,000/- for one-year tenure to street vendors. (v)  Pradhan  Mantri  Awas  Yojana  caters  to  the  housing  needs  of  all eligible beneficiaries. During Covid - 19 pandemic period since March, 2020, Union Government has taken several additional measures for the benefit of workers, such as; creation of 39.51 lakh new job opportunities  by  crediting  Rs.2583  crores  in  EPF  accounts  under Atmanirbhar Bharat Rozgar Yojana (ABRY), benefits of Rs.2567 crores to retain 38.91 lakh low wage employees under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan  Yojana  (PMGKY),  financial  assistance  of  Rs.7413  crore  to Building & other Construction Workers (BOCW), unemployment benefit

under  Atal  Beemit  Vyakti  Kalyan  Yojana  (ABVKY),  Pradhan  Mantri Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyan (PMGKRA)  generating 50.78 crore mandays with Rs.39,293 crores, free food grain of 5 kg per person per month to all Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) beneficiaries and special training programme under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana  (PMKVY)  Scheme  as  a  part  of  Garib  Kalyan  Rojgar  Abhiyaan (GKRA) in the districts having high concentration of returnee migrants. One  Nation  one  Ration  Card  Scheme  has  facilitated  portability  of provisions  of  ration  through  PDS  shops  across  the  country  for  the migrant workers and their families. (vi) Ministry of Labour & Employment has also launched eSHRAM portal, a National Database of the Unorganised Workers. It has been made available to the States/UTs for  registration  of  unorganised  workers  including  migrant workers.  The  main  objective  of  the  e-SHRAM  portal  is  to  create  a national  database  of  unorganised  workers  seeded  with  Aadhaar.  It shall also facilitate delivery of Social Security and welfare Schemes to such workers. The portal also aims to facilitate portability of benefits of welfare schemes to the migrant workers.

(d): Under the provisions of the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, both the Central and the State Governments are appropriate Governments to  fix,  review  and  revise  the  minimum  wages  of  the  employees employed in the Scheduled employments including Migrant labourers under their respective jurisdictions. The Central Government and the State Governments are mandated under section 3(1) (b) of the Act to revise the Minimum Rates of Wages payable to the employees engaged in  the  Scheduled  employments  including  Migrant  in  their  respective jurisdictions  at  intervals  not  exceeding  five  years.  Accordingly,  the minimum rates of wages in the Scheduled employments in the Central sphere  were  last  revised  by  the  Central  Government  in  2017.  The details of periodic revision of minimum  rates  of wages  in the Scheduled employments in the State sphere are not centrally maintained

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