Lok Sabha Question No. 2195 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-08-02
Subject: Unemployment and Job Loss in Unorganised Sector
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Dean Kuriakose

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2195 TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.08.2021

## UNEMPLOYMENT AND JOB LOSS IN UNORGANISED SECTOR

2195. ADV. DEAN KURIAKOSE:

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

- (a)whether  the  Government  has  taken  any  initiative  to  address  the issues  of  rising  unemployment  and  job  loss  in  the  unorganised sector due to COVID-19 pandemic;
- (b)if so, the details of the actions taken in this regard;
- (c)the  steps  taken/being  taken  by  the  Government  to  protect  the labourers working in the plantation sector in the country;
- (d)whether the Government has the details of financial assistance/other support to plantation labourers during the COVID19 pandemic; and
- (e)if so, the details thereof; State/UT-wise?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) & (b): Government of India has taken several initiatives to address  the  issues  of  unorganised  workers  arising  due  to  COVID-19 pandemic. The details are listed at Annexure A.
- (c) to (e): Further,  the  Government has also taken several measures to protect the interest of labourers working in the plantation sector  which are  given at Annexure B.

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## Annexure A

## ANNEXURE REFERED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) & (b) OF LOK SABHA UN-STARRED QUESTION NO. 2195 FOR 02.08.2021 REGARDING 'UNEMPLOYMENT AND JOB LOSS IN UNORGANISED SECTOR' RASIED BY ADV. DEAN KURIAKOSE

Steps taken  to address the issues of unorganised workers arising due to COVID-19 pandemic:-

(i)  Aatmanirbhar Bharat Rojgar Yojana (ABRY) has been launched w.e.f. 1st October, 2020 to incentivize employers for creation of new employment along with social security benefits and restoration of employment.

(ii) PM- SVANidhi Scheme has facilitated collateral free working capital loan upto Rs.10,000/for one-year tenure to street vendors, to help them resume their businesses during the post Covid period.

(iii) The State Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Boards have disbursed around Rs. 5618 crores to 1.83 crore BoCW workers during first wave of Covid-19 and during second wave, around Rs. 1795 crore have been disbursed to 1.23 crore BoCW workers.

(iv) Under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS),  the wage has been increased from Rs. 182.00 to Rs. 202.00 per day with effect from 01.04.2020. During the current financial year, a total of 120.49 crore person days have been generated.

(v)  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.

(vi) 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.

(vii) Limit of collateral free lending was increased from Rs. 10 lakhs to Rs. 20 lakhs for women organised through 63 lakhs Self Help Groups (SHGs) who support 6.85 crore households.

(viii)  Pradhan  Mantri  Mudra  Yojana (PMMY) is  being implemented by the Government inter alia, for facilitating self-employment. Under PMMY, collateral free loans upto Rs. 10 lakh, are extended  to  micro/small  business  enterprises  and  to  individuals  to  enable  them  to  setup  or expand their business activities. In addition, to enhance employment generation, Government is encouraging various projects involving substantial investment and through public expenditure on schemes like Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya  Grameen  Kaushalya  Yojana  (DDU-GKY),  Deendayal  Antodaya  Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM)  and  Pradhan  Mantri  Kaushal  Vikas Yojana (PMKVY)  run  by  Ministry  of  Micro,  Small  &  Medium  Enterprises,  Ministry  of  Rural Development,  Ministry  of  Housing  &  Urban  Affairs  and  Ministry  of  Skill  Development  & Entrepreneurship (MSDE), respectively.

(ix)  RBI and Government of India have undertaken several measures to infuse liquidity in the economy to expand market activities and raise the level of employment.

## Annexure B

ANNEXURE  REFERED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (c)  TO  (e)  OF  LOK  SABHA  UN-STARRED QUESTION  NO.  2195  FOR  02.08.2021  REGARDING  'UNEMPLOYMENT  AND  JOB  LOSS  IN UNORGANISED SECTOR' RASIED BY ADV. DEAN KURIAKOSE.

Measures taken to protect the interest of labourers working in the plantation sector:-

(i) Tea Board extended financial assistance worth Rs. 19.09 crores to 28898 to the workers of tea gardens through its  HRD  components  under  the  'Tea  Development  and  Promotion  Scheme'  that  was implemented during the MTF period 2017-2020 which was extended till 31.03.2021. Keeping in mind the distress  of  the  workers  of  tea  plantation,  the  Tea  Board  has  disbursed  some  amounts  under  its  HRD scheme including Scheduled Caste Sub Plan (SCSP) & Tribal Area Sub Plan (TASP) scheme to different tea growing states the details of which are as under:

Financial  assistance  &  other  support  under  HRD  component(including  SC  &  ST  growers),  given  to Plantations  labourers  during  Covid  19  Pandemic  through  educational  stipend,  Nehru  award,  Books  & School uniform, Bharat Scout & guide trainings etc.

| Year             | 2019-20 (for the month of March, 2020)   | 2019-20 (for the month of March, 2020)   |                             | 2020-21              | 2021-22 ( till 30-06-21)    | 2021-22 ( till 30-06-21)   |                             | Total                |
|------------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------|----------------------|-----------------------------|----------------------------|-----------------------------|----------------------|
| state            | Fund Utilised (Rs. In Lakh)              | No. of beneficiaries                     | Fund Utilised (Rs. In Lakh) | No. of beneficiaries | Fund Utilised (Rs. In Lakh) | No. of beneficiar- ies     | Fund Utilised (Rs. In Lakh) | No. of beneficiaries |
| Assam            | 26.78                                    | 94                                       | 32.59                       | 426                  | 3.12                        | 36                         | 62.49                       | 556                  |
| Tripura          | 0.93                                     | 16                                       | 0                           | 0                    | 0                           | 0                          | 0.93                        | 16                   |
| West Bengal      | 127.42                                   | 1352                                     | 91.10                       | 732                  | 75.33                       | 575                        | 293.85                      | 2659                 |
| Tamilnadu        | 84.19                                    | 439                                      | 29.27                       | 181                  | 13.53                       | 82                         | 126.99                      | 702                  |
| Kerala           | 63.17                                    | 323                                      | 41.72                       | 218                  | 4.51                        | 25                         | 109.4                       | 566                  |
| Karnataka        | 0                                        | 0                                        | 0.2                         | 1                    | 0                           | 0                          | 0.2                         | 1                    |
| Himachal Pradesh | 0.89                                     | 10                                       | 0.548                       | 3                    | 1.457                       | 13                         | 2.895                       | 26                   |
| Total            | 303.38                                   | 2234                                     | 195.428                     | 1561                 | 97.947                      | 731                        | 596.755                     | 4526                 |

(ii)   Spices Board's scheme for Plantation Labour Welfare in the Cardamom growing states of Kerala,  Karnataka,  Tamil  Nadu,  Sikkim,  West  Bengal  (Darjeeling  area)  and  North  Eastern Region  has  been  approved  by  the  Ministry  of  Finance  for  the  implementation  of  the  scheme during  the  period  from  2021-22  to  2025-26,  with  a  total  outlay  of  Rs  50  lakhs.  The  scheme provides for giving stipend to the children (students) of the cardamom plantation labourers so as to help in providing better working conditions. Also under the scheme amenities and incentives are provided for workers of small & large cardamom plantations. The financial assistance for the period 2021-26 is provided to the children of plantation labourers towards tuition fee and hostel charges subject to maximum of Rs. 25000/- per student per annum for pursuing regular full time course. (iii)  Rubber  Board  implements  various  labour  welfare  schemes  for  the  labourers  and  their children  in  the  rubber  plantation  sector.  During  2020-21,  Rs.  2.98  crore  was  distributed  for labour welfare measures to labourers in the unorganised rubber plantation sector. (iv)   The  benefits  of  Pradhan  Mantri  Garib  Kalyan  Yojana  (PMGKY)  was  extended  to  the labourers working in coffee plantation with Food Security and Direct Benefit Transfer. This also had a salient feature of EPF benefit of reimbursing both employees and employer's contribution of  PF  amount  to  those  establishments  having  less  than  100  employees  and  90%  of  those employees  earning  less  than  Rs.  15,000/-  per  month.  The  benefit  was  given  for  three  months

from June  to August 2020 under PMGKY.

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