Lok Sabha Question No. 1856 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-19
Subject: Schemes for Beedi Workers
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Dr. T. Sumathy (a) Thamizhachi Thangapandian, Ramya  Haridas, S. Gnanathiraviam, M. Selvaraj

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1856

TO BE ANSWERED ON 19.12.2022

## SCHEMES FOR BEEDI WORKERS

1856. DR. T. SUMATHY (a) THAMIZHACHI THANGAPANDIAN:

SHRI M. SELVARAJ:

SHRI GNANATHIRAVIAM S.:

MS. RAMYA HARIDAS:

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

- (a)whether  the  Government  has  any  proposals  or  schemes  for  women beedi  workers  and  their  children  addressing  their  health,  education and wellbeing concerns are in pipeline with the Government, if so, the details  thereof  and  if  not,  the  response  of  the  Government  thereto along with plan to implement any such proposal to support the beedi workers for their empowerment and protecting their rights in future;
- (b)whether  it  is  a  fact  that  more  than  8  million  beedi  workers,  most  of them  women  are  in  distressed  condition  and  currently  agitating  for their long standing demands;
- (c)if so, the details thereof and Government's response thereto;
- (d)the  details  of  the  steps  taken  or  proposed  to  be  taken  by  the Government to improve condition of these women beedi workers and to provide training in less hazardous condition for better paying jobs;
- (e)the current welfare schemes available for the beedi workers;
- (f)whether  the  Government  has  received  any  proposal  to  carry  out  an impact  study  of  these  schemes  available  for  the  beedi  workers  and whether these schemes are reaching them on ground level; and
- (g)if so, the number of beedi workers benefited by the schemes during the
- last three years, Statewise?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) to (g): Ministry  of  Labour  and  Employment  implements  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  to  Beedi  workers  and  their family members with a network of 285 Dispensaries and 10 Hospitals located across the Country and also 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.
- (ii)  Scholarship:-  Financial  Assistance  for  education  to  the  children  of beedi workers from class-I to college/University ranging from Rs.  1000/-  to  Rs.  25,000/-  per  student  per  annum,  depending  upon class.
- (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 receptively for construction of pucca houses, under Revised Integrated  Housing  Scheme  (RIHS)  2016.  However,  RIHS  has  now been converged with Pradhan Mantri Awash Yojana.  The sunset date of RIHS is 31.03.2023.

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.

The Labour Welfare Scheme  is implemented  across  the country through Labour Welfare Organizations situated in 18 Regions and the number of workers benefited by the schemes, region wise for the last three years is attached at Annexure.

*                                                       *******

## Annexure

## Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) to (g) of Lok Sabha Un- Starred Question no 1856 For 19.12.2022.

| Sl.No.   | Region              | Year                                                     | Number of Beedi Workers Benefited under the Labour Welfare Scheme   | Number of Beedi Workers Benefited under the Labour Welfare Scheme   | Number of Beedi Workers Benefited under the Labour Welfare Scheme   |
|----------|---------------------|----------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Sl.No.   | Region              | Year                                                     | Health                                                              | Housing                                                             | Scholarship*                                                        |
| 1        | ALLAHABAD           | 2019-20                                                  | 141568                                                              | 43                                                                  | 0                                                                   |
| 1        | ALLAHABAD           | 2020-21                                                  | 139989                                                              | 407                                                                 | 0                                                                   |
| 1        | ALLAHABAD           | 2021-22                                                  | 154090                                                              | 328                                                                 | 244                                                                 |
| 2        | AHMADABAD           | 2019-20                                                  | 51832                                                               | 447                                                                 | 96                                                                  |
| 2        | AHMADABAD           | 2020-21                                                  | 35821                                                               | 1017                                                                | 0                                                                   |
|          | AJMER               | 2021-22                                                  | 58898                                                               | 322                                                                 | 104                                                                 |
| 3        | AJMER               | 2019-20                                                  | 100338                                                              | 256                                                                 | 529                                                                 |
|          | AJMER               | 2020-21                                                  | 73004                                                               | 27                                                                  | 0                                                                   |
|          | AJMER               | 2021-22                                                  | 99950                                                               | 967                                                                 | 593                                                                 |
| 4        | BANGALORE           | 2019-20                                                  | 294715                                                              | 69                                                                  | 12416                                                               |
| 4        | BANGALORE           | 2020-21                                                  | 180508                                                              | 3                                                                   | 400                                                                 |
| 4        | BANGALORE           | 2021-22                                                  | 209546                                                              | 10                                                                  | 17512                                                               |
| 5        | BHUBANESWAR         | 2019-20                                                  | 407120                                                              | 382                                                                 | 2724                                                                |
| 5        | BHUBANESWAR         | 2020-21                                                  | 217332                                                              | 2343                                                                | 0                                                                   |
| 5        | BHUBANESWAR         | 2021-22                                                  | 263494                                                              | 898                                                                 | 3165                                                                |
| 6        | HYDERABAD           | 2019-20                                                  | 184414                                                              | 91                                                                  | 12347                                                               |
| 6        | HYDERABAD           | 2020-21                                                  | 159809                                                              | 255                                                                 | 1474                                                                |
| 7        | JABALPUR            | 2021-22                                                  | 109450                                                              | 120                                                                 | 21006                                                               |
| 7        | JABALPUR            | 2019-20 2020-21                                          | 148951 116068                                                       | 384 3017                                                            | 829 0                                                               |
| 7        | JABALPUR            | 2021-22                                                  | 157514                                                              | 497                                                                 | 1260                                                                |
| 8        | NAGPUR              | 2019-20                                                  | 153614                                                              | 892                                                                 | 4715                                                                |
| 8        | NAGPUR              | 2020-21                                                  | 66501                                                               | 348                                                                 | 0                                                                   |
| 8        | NAGPUR              | 2021-22                                                  | 94128                                                               | 250                                                                 | 3449                                                                |
| 9        | RANCHI              | 2019-20                                                  | 56221                                                               | 321                                                                 | 230                                                                 |
| 9        | RANCHI              | 2020-21                                                  | 46776                                                               | 1474                                                                | 0                                                                   |
| 9        | RANCHI              | 2021-22                                                  | 67107                                                               | 833                                                                 | 109                                                                 |
| 10       | PATNA               | 2019-20                                                  | 27021                                                               | 82                                                                  | 241                                                                 |
| 10       | PATNA               | 2020-21                                                  | 37080                                                               | 1126                                                                | 0                                                                   |
| 10       | PATNA               | 2021-22                                                  | 53960                                                               | 303                                                                 | 369                                                                 |
| 11       | RAIPUR              | 2019-20                                                  | 42564                                                               | 70                                                                  | 217                                                                 |
| 11       | RAIPUR              | 2020-21                                                  | 25324                                                               | 85                                                                  | 0                                                                   |
| 11       | RAIPUR              | 2021-22                                                  | 30393                                                               | 19                                                                  | 191                                                                 |
| 12       | THIRUVANANTH APURAM | 2019-20                                                  | 35282                                                               | 237                                                                 | 5112                                                                |
| 12       | THIRUVANANTH APURAM | 2020-21                                                  | 14877                                                               | 160                                                                 | 498                                                                 |
| 12       | THIRUVANANTH APURAM | 2021-22                                                  | 19458                                                               | 103                                                                 | 4273                                                                |
| 13       | KOLKATA             | 2019-20                                                  | 248932                                                              | 0                                                                   | 95900                                                               |
| 13       | KOLKATA             | 2020-21                                                  | 170943                                                              | 75                                                                  | 7                                                                   |
| 13       | KOLKATA             | 2021-22                                                  | 195460                                                              | 0                                                                   | 174951                                                              |
| 14       | GUWAHATI            | 2019-20                                                  | 5006                                                                | 323                                                                 | 0                                                                   |
| 14       | GUWAHATI            | 2020-21                                                  | 4691                                                                | 181                                                                 | 0                                                                   |
| 14       | GUWAHATI            | 2021-22                                                  | 8289                                                                | 146                                                                 | 294                                                                 |
| 15       | CHENNAI             | 2019-20                                                  | 367732                                                              | 150                                                                 | 0                                                                   |
| 15       | CHENNAI             | 2020-21                                                  | 242572                                                              | 315                                                                 | 21253                                                               |
| 15       | CHENNAI             | 2021-22                                                  | 248819                                                              | 28                                                                  | 17591                                                               |
| 16       | CHANDIGARH          | No registered Beedi Workers in Chandigarh region.        | No registered Beedi Workers in Chandigarh region.                   | No registered Beedi Workers in Chandigarh region.                   | 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.                     | No registered Beedi Workers in Dehradun region.                     |
| 18.      | JAMMU AND           | No registered Beedi Workers in Jammu and Kashmir region. | No registered Beedi Workers in Jammu and Kashmir region.            | No registered Beedi Workers in Jammu and Kashmir region.            | No registered Beedi Workers in Jammu and Kashmir region.            |
|          | KASHMIR             |                                                          |                                                                     |                                                                     |                                                                     |