Lok Sabha Question No. 1125 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-07-26
Subject: Migration and Reverse Migration
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Thirumaa Valavan Thol

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1125 TO BE ANSWERED ON 26.07.2021

## MIGRATION AND REVERSE MIGRATION

1125. SHRI THIRUMAAVALAVAN THOL:

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

- (a)whether the Government is aware of the Labourers' Migration and Reverse  Migration,  moving  within  India  and  moving  back  from foreign countries;
- (b)if so, the details thereof;
- (c)whether the Government has observed any adverse impact on the financial condition of the Labourers due to such Reverse Migration; and
- (d)if  so,  the  measures  taken  by  the  Government  to  prevent  such destabilization in the life of such labourers?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (d): Migration of workers in search of work from one place to another  is  a  normal  phenomenon.  The  global  spread  of  the  corona virus followed by lockdowns has affected economies across the globe. The  details  of  the  remedial  measures  taken  by  the  Government  to provide  assistance  to  the  affected  workers  are  enclosed  at  the Annexure.

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## Annexure

Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) to (d) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1125  for 26.07.2021 regarding Migration and Reverse Migration.

## Measures taken by the Government to protect livelihood during Covid-19 Pandemic.

## Measures taken by the Ministry of Labour and Employment:

- a.) Aatmanirbhar Bharat Rozgar Yojna (ABRY) Scheme  has been launched with effect from 1 st  October, 2020 to incentivize employers for creation  of  new  employment  along  with  social  security  benefits  and restoration of loss of employment during COVID-19 pandemic.
- b.) Under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY), Govt. contributed  both  12%  employers'  share  and  12%  employees'  share under Employees Provident Fund (EPF) for the wage month from March to  August,  2020  for  establishments  having  up  to  100  employees  with 90% of such employees earning less than Rs. 15000.
- c.) Statutory PF contribution of both employer and employee was reduced to 10% each from existing 12% each for all establishments covered by EPFO for three months.
- d)  Employees'  Provident  Fund  Regulations  was  amended  to  include Pandemic as the reason to allow non-refundable advance of 75 percent of the amount or three months of the wages, whichever is lower, from their accounts.
- e.) States/UTs were advised to frame a scheme under Building and other Construction  workers  (BOCW)  Act,  1996  for  transfer  of  funds  in  the bank account of BOC workers. In response, during first wave of Covid19, Rs. 5618 crores were disbursed to 1.83 crore BOCW workers and during  second  wave,  Rs.  1795  crores  have  been  disbursed  to  1.23 crore workers.
- f.)  Unemployment  benefit  under  the  Atal  Beemit  Vyakti  Kalyan  Yojana (ABVKY)  being implemented by the Employees' State Insurance Corporation  (ESIC)  has  been  enhanced  to  50%  from  25%  of  the average  earning, payable  upto 90  days, along  with relaxation of eligibility conditions for insured workers who have lost employment due to COVID-19 pandemic.
- g.) To support the families of insured persons (IP) under the ESIC scheme, it has been decided that, all dependent family member of IP's who have been registered under the online portal of ESIC prior to their diagnosis of  Covid-19  disease  and  subsequent  death  due  to  disease,  will  be entitled to dependent pension equivalent to 90% of average daily wage drawn by the worker subject to certain eligibility conditions.
- h.)  Under  the  EPFO's  Employees'  Deposit  linked  Insurance  scheme,  all surviving  dependent  family  members  are  eligible  to  avail  benefits  of EDL  in  case  of  death  in  harness  of  the  member  and  amount  of maximum benefit has been increased from Rs.6 Lakh to Rs.7 Lakh to the family members of deceased employee.
- i.)  Under the Chief Labour Commissioner (Central)/ CLC(C), MoLE, Govt. of  India  -  20  Control  Rooms  were  set  up  on  pan  India  basis  on 11.04.2021 to resolve the grievances of workers, mainly wage related and migrant labour issues.

## Measures taken by the other ministries:

- a.) Under MGNREGA, wage has been increased to Rs. 202 a day from Rs. 182 w.e.f. 01.04.2020 to benefit nearly 13.62 crore families.
- b.)  Government  under  Pradhan  Mantri  Garib  Kalyan  Rojgar  Abhiyan (PMGKRA),  has  taken  various  initiatives  to  boost  rural  infrastructure and rural economy to provide local employment opportunities particularly to the migrant returnees. PMGKRA covered 116 districts of 6 States in a mission mode campaign of 125 days.
- c.)  PM-SVANidhi  Scheme  has  been  launched  to  facilitate  collateral  free working  capital  loan  upto  Rs.10,000/-  for  one-year  tenure  to  street vendors, to help them resume their businesses, which were adversely affected due to Covid-19 pandemic.
- d.) Insurance scheme for health workers fighting COVID-19 in Government Hospitals and Health Care Centres was launched w.e.f. 30.03.2020 to provide comprehensive personal accident cover of Rs. 50 lakh to around 22.12 lakh public healthcare providers.
- e.)  PM Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana- Additional allocation of food grain @ 5 kg per  person  per  month  free  of  cost  was  provided  to  all  beneficiaries
- covered under the targeted public distribution system. The scheme has been extended for the period April 2021 to November 2021. f.)    The first  instalment of Rs 2,000 due in 2020-21 was front-loaded and paid in  April  2020  itself  under  the  PM  KISAN  Yojana,  covering  about 8.7 crore farmers. g.)  A total of 20.40 crores (approx.) women account-holders under Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) were given ex-gratia of Rs 500 per month for three months. h.)  An  amount  of  Rs.1000/-  each  to  around  3  crore  aged  widows  and people in Divyang category was provided. i.)  Self-Help groups: Limit of collateral free lending was increased from Rs 10  to  Rs  20  lakhs  for  women  organized  through  63  lakhs  Self  Help Groups (SHGs), who support 6.85 crore households.

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