Lok Sabha Question No. 2625 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-17
Subject: Welfare of Beedi Workers
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Dr. Prabha Mallikarjun

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2625

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 17.03.2025

## WELFARE OF BEEDI WORKERS

## 2625. DR. PRABHA MALLIKARJUN:

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

- (a)whether the Government is aware of the plight of Beedi workers due to  low  wages,  hazardous  work  environment,  systemic  exploitation, lack of social security and limited access to various welfare scheme;
- (b)if so, the action taken or proposed to be taken by the Government to ensure  better  working  conditions  of  beedi  workers,  eliminate  child workers, regularisation and direct employment of women;
- (c)whether the Government has data on number of workers employed directly and indirectly in Beedi industries across the country, Statewise including Karnataka particularly in Davangere district; and
- (d)whether  the  Government  proposes  to  bring  beedi  workers  under social  security  benefits  viz,  PF,  ESI,  Health  insurance,  pension, educational aid and if so, the details thereof along with action taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) to (d): The  Labour  Welfare  Scheme  under  Ministry  of  Labour  and Employment is implemented across the country through Labour Welfare Organizations, situated in 18 Regions across the country, including for welfare of the Beedi Workers and their family members.

This Scheme has three components, namely, Health, Scholarship & Housing and the details are as under:-

- (i)  Health  care  facilities  through  10  Hospitals  and  279  dispensaries. Reimbursement of expenditure for specialized treatments i.e. Cancer, Tuberculosis, Heart Diseases, Kidney Transplantation.
- (ii) Financial Assistance for education of the children of beedi workers from class-I to college/University ranging from Rs. 1000/- to Rs. 25,000/per student per annum, depending upon class/course.

(iii) Subsidy of Rs.1,50,000/- (per beneficiary) for construction of pucca houses, under Revised Integrated Housing Scheme (RIHS) 2016. RIHS

has been converged with Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.

The Government also runs other various welfare schemes for the  welfare  of  Unorganized  workers  including  for  the  Beedi  workers, such  as  (i)  Ayushman  Bharat-Pradhan  Mantri  Jan  Arogya  Yojana (ABPMJAY), (ii) Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), (iii) Pradhan  Mantri  Suraksha  Bima  Yojana  (PMSBY),  (iv)  Pradhan  Mantri Shram Yogi Maan- Dhan (PMSYM),  (v) Public Distribution System through One-Nation-OneRation-Card Scheme under National Food Security Act, (vi) Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gramin Kaushal Yojana, (vii) Pradhan Mantri Awas  Yojana,  (viii)  Mahatma  Gandhi  Bunkar  Bima  Yojana,  (ix)  Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana, (x) Pradhan Mantri Street Vendors Atmanirbhar Nidhi  PMSVANidhi,  (xi)  Pradhan  Mantri  Kaushal  Vikas  Yojana  among others.

As per the data available,  there  are  49.82  lakh  registered

Beedi workers including Davangere District, Karnataka in the country.

Labour  being  a  subject  under  the  Concurrent  List  of  the Constitution of India, where both the Central & State Governments are competent to enact legislation and enforce Labour Laws as per their respective jurisdictions.

The Central Government has enacted the Child and Adolescent  Labour  (Prohibition  and  Regulation)  Act,  1986.  The  Act provides for the complete prohibition of work or employment of children below 14 years of age in any occupation or process.

The Act also provides for prohibition of adolescents in the age group of 14 to 18 years from works in hazardous occupations and processes.

The  Ministry  of  Labour  and  Employment  launched  the  eShram  Portal -'One -StopSolution'  on  21 st   October,  2024  to  entails integration  of  different  social  security/welfare  schemes  to  enables unorganized workers registered on e-Shram to access social security schemes and see the benefits availed by them so far through e-Shram portal.

So, far, 13 welfare schemes of different Central Ministries/Departments have already been integrated/mapped with the e-shram Portal including (PMSAVNidhi), (PMSBY), (PMJJBY), (PMAY-G), (AB-PMJAY), (PMAY-U), National Family Benefit Scheme (NFBS), Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Gurantee Act (MGNREGA), Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) and Pradhan Mantri Kissan Maan Dhan Yojana (PM-KMY).

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