Lok Sabha Question No. 906 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-02-07
Subject: Welfare of Skilled and Unskilled Migrant Labourers
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Vijay Kumar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 906 TO BE ANSWERED ON 07.02.2022

## WELFARE OF SKILLED AND UNSKILLED MIGRANT LABOURERS

†906. SHRI VIJAY KUMAR:

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

- (a)the  details  of  the  schemes/programmes launched/ implemented by the  Government  for  the  welfare  of  the  skilled  and  the  unskilled migrant labourers in the country;
- (b)whether  the  Government  has  conducted/is  considering  to  conduct any study/survey in respect of prevailing conditions of the workers at working places in view of covid-19 pandemic;
- (c)if so, the details thereof; and
- (d)the steps taken/being taken by the Government to bring improvement in the overall conditions of the workers as well as in their safety and health conditions?

## ANSWER

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

- (a): Migrant workers are engaged in various occupations. There exist several social security and welfare schemes  for workers including migrant workers engaged in such occupations. Some of the prominent schemes are as follows;

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. 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. 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. Model welfare schemes for the Building & other Construction Workers (BOCW) administered by State Welfare Boards. PM-SVANidhi Scheme facilitates  collateral  free  working  capital  loan  of  upto Rs.10,000/for  one-year  tenure  to  street  vendors.  Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana caters to the housing needs to all eligible beneficiaries.

However, during Covid - 19 pandemic period since March, 2020, Union Government has taken several additional measures for the benefits 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, working capital loan to street vendors under  PM-SVA  Nidhi  Scheme,  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. In  addition,  the  Government  launched  an  initiative  called  SWADES (Skilled Workers Arrival Database for Employment Support) to conduct a skill mapping exercise of the returnee migrant workers from abroad under the Vande Bharat Mission. For facilitating employment opportunities,  details  of  SWADES  have  been  integrated  with  Skill India's ASEEM Portal.

(b) & (c): Government  of  India has entrusted Labour  Bureau to conduct  All  India  Survey  on  Migrant  Workers  with  the  objective  to generate  basic  quantitative  information  on  migrant  workers  and  the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on their work. The survey also aims to throw light on the socio-economic conditions of migrant workers, their education level,  vocational/technical  training, gender, social    group,

accommodation (housing), consumption expenditure, income, financial inclusion,  and  change  in  income  after  migration.  The  survey  was launched on 1st April, 2021.

Ministry  of  Labour  &  Employment  has  also  launched  eSHRAM portal, a National Database of the Unorganised Workers on 26 th August,  2021.  It  has  been  made  available  to  the  States/UTs  for registration  of  unorganised  workers  including  migrant  workers  on  eSHRAM portal. The main objective of the e-SHRAM portal is to create a national database of unorganised workers seeded with Aadhaar. It is also  to  facilitate  delivery  of  Social  Security  and  welfare  Schemes  to such workers. As on 01.02.2022, more than 24.66 crore unorganised workers have been registered on this portal.

(d): In  order to safeguard the interest 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,  grievances  redressal mechanisms, protection from abuse and exploitation, enhancement of skills and social security to all categories of workers including migrant workers.

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