Lok Sabha Question No. 3863 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-24
Subject: Exploitation of Sugar Mills Workers
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Shri Harendra Singh Malik

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3863 TO BE ANSWERED ON 24.03.2025

## EXPLOITATION OF SUGAR MILLS WORKERS

†3863. SHRI HARENDRA SINGH MALIK:

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

- (a)whether it is a fact that the cases of exploitation of workers and non-payment of minimum wages to workers employed in sugar mills and other local industries are not being monitored properly;
- (b)if so, the details thereof along with the steps being taken by the
- Government to address the negligence of the Department; (c)if not, the reasons therefor;
- (d)whether the Government is aware that the labourers are exploited and deprived of basic facilities by the contractors;
- (e)if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  the  steps  taken  by  the
- Government to address the said issues; and (f)if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SUSHRI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE)

(a) to (f): The government has enacted the Minimum Wages Act, 1948 to ensure that workers get wages at a rate not less than the minimum rate of wages fixed by the appropriate government.  The Act provides for different minimum wages across various industries and  on  the  basis  of  skill  levels.  The  matter  related  to  workers employed in  sugar  mills  falls  under  the  jurisdiction  of  respective State  Governments/UTs.  Recently  the  provisions  of  the  Minimum Wages Act, 1948, have been rationalized and subsumed under the Code on Wages, 2019. The Code makes minimum wages universally applicable across employments.

The Unorganised Workers' Social Security Act (UWSS), 2008  provides  for,  inter-alia,  formulating  welfare  schemes  for unorganised workers on the matters relating to life and disability cover,   health and maternity benefits,    old age protection etc.

Ministry of Labour & Employment launched the eShram portal (eshram.gov.in)  on  26 th   August  2021  for  creation  of  a comprehensive  National  Database  of  the  Unorganised  Workers (NDUW), including migrant workers, seeded with Aadhaar.  eShram portal is meant to register and support the unorganised workers by providing  them  a  Universal  Account  Number  (UAN)  on  a  selfdeclaration basis.

Further, the Ministry of Labour and Employment has also launched the eShram -'One -StopSolution'  on  21st  October  2024. eShram -'One -StopSolution' entails integration of different Social Security/ Welfare schemes at single portal i.e., eShram. This enables unorganised  workers,  including  migrant  workers  registered  on eShram,  to  access  13  social  security  schemes  and  see  benefits availed by them so far, through eShram;- including PMSBY, PMJJBY, Ayushman Bharat - Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB- PMJAY), Prime Minister Street Vendors Atma Nirbhar Nidhi (PM-SVANidhi), PMAY  (Urban  &  Rural),  NSAP -National  Family  Benefit  Scheme (NFBS),  Mahatma  Gandhi  National  Rural  Employment  Guarantee Programme (MGNREGA), Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY)  and  Pradhan  Mantri  Kisan  Samman  Nidhi  Scheme  (PM Kisan).

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