Lok Sabha Question No. 1782 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-10
Subject: Amendment in Laws for Workers Rights
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Shri Virendra Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1782

TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.03.2025

## AMENDMENT IN LAWS FOR WORKERS RIGHTS

†1782. SHRI VIRENDRA SINGH:

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

- (a)whether there is any proposal to amend labour laws to incorporate regular employment for labourers, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (b)whether the Government proposes to pay for the overtime beyond eight  hours  work  as  the  working  hours,  have  been  increased  to twelve hours from eight hours, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c)whether the Government also proposes to safeguard interest of agricultural labourers and  provide life insurance  and  health insurance cover to them, if so, the details thereof;
- (d)whether the Government has any provision to check and balance
- the exploitation of registered MGNREGA labourers; and (e)if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(a): The Central Government has formulated the four Labour Codes;  namely  the  Code  on  Wages,  2019,  the  Code  on  Social Security, 2020, the Industrial  Relations  Code,  2020  and  the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 by amalgamating, rationalizing and simplifying the existing 29 Central Acts, with a view to promote labour welfare & quality employment generation. The concept of Fixed Term Employment (FTE) has been introduced in the Code on Industrial Relations, 2020. FTE worker shall  be  eligible  for  all  benefits,  including  gratuity  available  to  a permanent  worker  proportionately  according  to  the  period  of service rendered by him even if his period of employment does not extend to the required qualifying period of employment.

Contd..2/-

- (b): Under  OSH  &  WC  Code,2020,  workers  are  entitled  for wages at the rate of twice the rate of wages in respect of overtime work,  where  a  worker  works  in  an  establishment  or  class  of establishment for more than such hours of work in any day or in any week as may be prescribed by the appropriate Government and the period  of  overtime  work  shall  be  calculated  on  a  daily  basis  or weekly basis, whichever is more favourable to such worker.
- (c): There are various schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima  Yojana  (PMFBY)  and  Restructured  Weather  Based  Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS) to provide financial support to insured farmers suffering crop loss/damage arising out of natural calamities, adverse weather incidence etc., to stabilize the income of farmers etc. Under this scheme, crop insurance is provided to the insured farmers.
- (d) & (e): The  responsibility  of  implementation  of  the  Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) is  vested  with  the  Government  of  concerned  States/UTs.  The Ministry regularly reviews the performance of the implementation of MGNREGS  in  States/UTs  through  various  forums  viz.,  Mid-Term Review, Labour Budget meetings, Labour Budget Revision meetings, Common Review Missions, Programme Review Committee meetings, Monthly Review meeting and Central  Employment Guarantee Council meetings. Further, the State  Employment Guarantee Councils (SEGC) also periodically monitor the implementation of the Scheme at State level.

The Government has also taken the following steps for ensuring  efficient  implementation  of  the  scheme  as  per  the provisions of the Act as well as the guidelines issued from time to time:-

- •
- Conduct of Social audit at Gram Panchayat level.
- Grievance Redressal Mechanism through appointment of Ombudspersons.
- •
- Monitoring by National Level Monitors and Central Teams.
- Conduct of Internal Audit.
- •
- Monitoring through use of Area Officers App.
- Use of National Mobile Monitoring System (NMMS) for capturing
- of attendance.
- JANMANREGA App for seeking citizen feedback and information.

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