Lok Sabha Question No. 1683 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-07-31
Subject: Policy for Safety of Inter-State Migrant Workers
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Janardan Singh Sigriwal, Chandra Prakash Choudhary

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1683 TO BE ANSWERED ON 31.07.2023

## POLICY FOR SAFETY OF INTER-STATE MIGRANT WORKERS

1683. SHRI JANARDAN SINGH SIGRIWAL: SHRI CHANDRA PRAKASH CHOUDHARY:

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

- (a)whether  the  Government  has  any  policy  for  safety  of  Inter-State Migrant Workers in organised and especially for unorganised sector, if so, the details thereof;
- (b)whether due to poverty and unemployment, people from States like Jharkhand moves for work across the country and if so, the details thereof along with the steps taken/being taken by the Government for safety of such workers;
- (c)whether the Government has any data of Inter-State workers working at present in various sector and if so, the number of such workers from Jharkhand State working in different States;
- (d)whether the Government has any mechanism to find out the number of  migrant  labourers  from  Bihar  engaged  in  daily  wages  in  the country, if so, the details thereof;
- (e)the  details  of  schemes  being  implemented  by  the  Government  for daily wages labourers in the country;
- (f)whether the Government provides any insurance cover to secure life and property of the said labourers; and
- (g)if so, the details thereof along with concrete steps taken/being taken by the Government to protect the interest of migrant labourers?
- ANSWER

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

(a): 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 Working  Conditions  (OSH)  Code,  2020.  The  OSH  Code,  provides  for decent  working  conditions,  minimum  wages,  grievances  redressal mechanisms, toll free helpline, protection from abuse and exploitation, and social security to all category of organized and unorganized workers including migrant workers.

- (b): As per the Report Migration in India, 2020-21, based on  PLFS 2020-21, released by Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), the total migration rate in India was 28.9%.Out of  the  total  migrant  persons,  around 10.8% persons  migrated due to employment related reasons. The employment related reasons include in search of employment/better employment, for employment/ work (to take up employment/ to take up better employment/ business/ proximity to  place  of  work/  transfer)  and  loss  of  job/closure  of  unit/lack  of employment opportunities.
- (c): Migration  of  workers  from  one  state  to  another  state  is  a continuous process and dynamic in nature. A total number of 8,24,259 persons  migrated  for  the  purpose  of  employment  from  Jharkhand  to other States as per Census 2011 data placed at Annexure.
- (d): A total number of 7,06,557 persons migrated for the purpose of employment from Bihar to other States as per Census 2011 data.
- (e): Under the provisions of the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, both the Central and the State Governments are appropriate Governments to fix, review and revise the minimum wages of the employees employed in the Scheduled employments including Migrant labourers under their respective  jurisdictions.  Under  Section  13  of  the  Inter-  State  Migrant Workmen (Regulation  of  Employment  and  Conditions  of  Service)  Act, 1979, the  Inter-State migrant workmen shall in no case be paid less than the wages fixed under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948 (41 of 1948). The various schemes implemented by the Government for migrant workers including  daily  wage  labourers  in  the  country  are  (i)  Pradhan  Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) (ii)  Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) (iii) PM-SVANidhi (iv) Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (v) Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PM-JAY).
- (f) & (g): Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY)  provides  health  cover  of  Rs.5  lakhs  per  family  per  year  for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization to vulnerable families. These families include unorganized workers including migrant workers as per the defined eligibility.

In  order  to  provide  old  age  protection,  the  Government  of India launched Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-Dhan (PM-SYM) pension scheme in 2019.  It provides monthly pension of Rs.3,000/- after attaining the age of 60 years.   The workers in the age group of 18-40 years whose monthly income is Rs.15,000/or less and not a member of EPFO/ESIC/NPS(Govt. funded) can join the PM-SYM Scheme under this Scheme  50% monthly contribution is payable by the beneficiary and equal matching contribution is paid by Central Government.   Under the Scheme , the fund towards Government's contribution is provided to LIC being fund manager.

Further,  there  exist  several  social  security  and  welfare schemes for workers including migrant workers. Some of the prominent schemes are as follows; (i)  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. (ii) PM-SVANidhi Scheme facilitates collateral free working capital loan of upto Rs.10,000/- for one-year tenure to street vendors. (iii)  Pradhan  Mantri  Awas  Yojana  caters  to  the  housing  needs  of  all eligible beneficiaries. *                                                 ******

Annexure

Annexure  referred  to  in  reply  to  part  (c)  of  Lok  Sabha  Unstarred  Question  No.  1683  for 31.07.2023  raised  by  Shri  Janardan  Singh  Sigriwal,  MP  (LS)  &  Shri  Chandra  Prakash Choudhary, MP (LS) regarding Policy for Safety of Inter-State Migrant Workers.

| State wise Number of persons who moved in for work &Employment as per Census - 2011 (Migrant Workers)   | State wise Number of persons who moved in for work &Employment as per Census - 2011 (Migrant Workers)   | State wise Number of persons who moved in for work &Employment as per Census - 2011 (Migrant Workers)   |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| S. No.                                                                                                  | States/UTs                                                                                              | Persons                                                                                                 |
| 1                                                                                                       | ANDAMAN&NICOBAR ISLANDS                                                                                 | 52,129                                                                                                  |
| 2                                                                                                       | ANDHRA PRADESH                                                                                          | 37,37,316                                                                                               |
| 3                                                                                                       | ARUNACHAL PRADESH                                                                                       | 1,19,244                                                                                                |
| 4                                                                                                       | ASSAM                                                                                                   | 5,72,064                                                                                                |
| 5                                                                                                       | BIHAR                                                                                                   | 7,06,557                                                                                                |
| 6                                                                                                       | CHANDIGARH                                                                                              | 2,06,642                                                                                                |
| 7                                                                                                       | CHHATTISGARH                                                                                            | 10,21,077                                                                                               |
| 8                                                                                                       | DADRA &NAGARHAVELI                                                                                      | 63,779                                                                                                  |
| 9                                                                                                       | DAMAN&DIU                                                                                               | 73,782                                                                                                  |
| 10                                                                                                      | GOA                                                                                                     | 1,15,870                                                                                                |
| 11                                                                                                      | GUJARAT                                                                                                 | 30,41,779                                                                                               |
| 12                                                                                                      | HARYANA                                                                                                 | 13,33,644                                                                                               |
| 13                                                                                                      | HIMACHAL PRADESH                                                                                        | 2,96,268                                                                                                |
| 14                                                                                                      | JAMMU&KASHMIR                                                                                           | 1,22,587                                                                                                |
| 15                                                                                                      | JHARKHAND                                                                                               | 8,24,259                                                                                                |
| 16                                                                                                      | KARNATAKA                                                                                               | 28,87,216                                                                                               |
| 17                                                                                                      | KERALA                                                                                                  | 7,13,934                                                                                                |
| 18                                                                                                      | LAKSHADWEEP                                                                                             | 6,135                                                                                                   |
| 19                                                                                                      | MADHYAPRADESH                                                                                           | 24,15,635                                                                                               |
| 20                                                                                                      | MAHARASHTRA                                                                                             | 79,01,819                                                                                               |
| 21                                                                                                      | MANIPUR                                                                                                 | 22,750                                                                                                  |
| 22                                                                                                      | MEGHALAYA                                                                                               | 52,797                                                                                                  |
| 23                                                                                                      | MIZORAM                                                                                                 | 62,828                                                                                                  |
| 24                                                                                                      | NAGALAND                                                                                                | 1,10,779                                                                                                |
| 25                                                                                                      | NCT OF DELHI                                                                                            | 20,29,489                                                                                               |
| 26                                                                                                      | ODISHA                                                                                                  | 8,51,363                                                                                                |
| 27                                                                                                      | PUDUCHERRY                                                                                              | 70,721                                                                                                  |
| 28                                                                                                      | PUNJAB                                                                                                  | 12,44,056                                                                                               |
| 29                                                                                                      | RAJASTHAN                                                                                               | 17,09,602                                                                                               |
| 30                                                                                                      | SIKKIM                                                                                                  | 46,554                                                                                                  |
| 31                                                                                                      | TAMIL NADU                                                                                              | 34,87,974                                                                                               |
| 32                                                                                                      | TRIPURA                                                                                                 | 92,097                                                                                                  |
| 33                                                                                                      | UTTAR PRADESH                                                                                           | 31,56,125                                                                                               |
| 34                                                                                                      | UTTARAKHAND                                                                                             | 6,17,094                                                                                                |
| 35                                                                                                      | WEST BENGAL                                                                                             | 16,56,952                                                                                               |
|                                                                                                         | INDIA                                                                                                   | 4,14,22,917                                                                                             |

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