Lok Sabha Question No. 1662 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-10
Subject: Initiatives to improve Livelihood of Informal Sector Workers
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Shri Anoop Pradhan Valmiki

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1662 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.03.2025

## INITIATIVES TO IMPROVE LIVELIHOOD OF INFORMAL SECTOR WORKERS

†1662. SHRI ANOOP PRADHAN VALMIKI:

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

- (a)whether the Government has taken any initiative to improve the livelihood  of  vulnerable  sections  of  the  informal  sector  like construction  workers,  gig  workers,  garbage  collectors,  care workers, domestic workers and transport workers;

(b)if so, the details thereof; and (c)if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (c): The Government has taken various initiatives to improve the livelihood of unorganised workers such as construction workers, gig workers, garbage collectors, care workers, domestic workers and transport workers by  implementing various schemes. These include (i) Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (ABPMJAY) for health, (ii) Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) for life and disablity, (iii) Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) for accidental insurance, (iv) Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-Dhan (PM-SYM) for old age pension, (v) Labour Welfare Scheme and health care facilities for Beedi/ Cine & Non-coal Mine workers, (vi) Public Distribution  System  through  One-Nation-One-Ration-Card  Scheme under  National  Food  Security  Act,  (vii)  PM  Awas  Yojana -Urban (PMAY-U), (viii)    PM  Awas  Yojana-  Gramin  (PMAY-G),  (ix)  Mahatma Gandhi  Bunkar  Bima  Yojana  for  insurance  coverage  for  handloom weavers, (x) Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana for upliftment of urban poor,  (xi)  Prime  Minister  Street  Vendors  Atma  Nirbhar  Nidhi  (PMSVANidhi) for providing loans to Street Vendors, (xii) Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) for guaranteed employment of 100 days in a year.

Central Government has enacted the Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service)  Act,  1996  [BoCW  (RE&CS)  Act,  1996]  to  regulate  the other construction  workers  and  to  provide  for  their  safety,  health  and welfare  measures  and  for  other  matters  connected  therewith  or incidental  thereto.  This  has  been  subsumed  in  the  Occupational employment  and conditions of service of building and Safety, Health and Working Condition Code, 2020.

Recognizing  the  contribution  of  gig  workers  of  online platforms,  the  Government  in  its  Budget  announcement  made  on and registration of the eShram portal and provide health care under AB-

01.02.2025, proposed to arrange for their identity cards PMJAY health scheme.

Waste Pickers component has been added under National Action  for  Mechanised  Sanitation  Ecosystem  (NAMASTE)  scheme from  current  F.Y.2024-25  with  an  objective  of  recognizing  and strengthening the contribution of waste pickers in waste collection, recovery  &  recycling  by  integrating  them  in  the  Solid  Waste Management  Value  Chain,  ensuring  their  occupational  safety  and linking them with the various social security benefits.

The  key  components  under  the  scheme  are  profiling  of gradation training,  Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Kits, Health Insurance coverage under AB-PMJAY and Capital subsidy for Waste waste  pickers,  providing  them  Occupational  safety  and  skill  upCollection Vehicle to Waste picker's Self Help Groups (SHGs).

Also the Government has launched eShram'One -  StopSolution' on 21 st  October 2024 to deliver benefits of various schemes for the vulnerable section of the informal sector. eShram'One Stop -Solution'  entails  integration  of  different  Social  Security/  Welfare schemes at single portal i.e., eShram. So far, 13 schemes of different Central Ministries / Departments have already been integrated/mapped with the eShram including PMSBY, PMJJBY, ABPMJAY, PM-SVANidhi, PMAY-U, PMAY-G, MGNREGA.

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