Lok Sabha Question No. 3357 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-08-10
Subject: Manpower in the Country
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: VIRENDRA  KUMAR

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3357

TO BE ANSWERED ON 10 TH  AUGUST, 2015

## MANPOWER IN THE COUNTRY

3357.  DR. VIRENDRA KUMAR:

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

- (a) whether the Government has made any assessment of manpower/workers available in the country;
- (b) if  so,  the  percentage  of  manpower/workers  out  of  total  population  of  the country at present;
- (c) the estimated percentage out of the above which is engaged in agricultural, industrial and service sector separately;
- (d) the facilities being provided at present to labourers involved in agricultural sector; and
- (e) the steps being taken to improve conditions of agricultural labourers by the Union Government?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE (IC) FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SHRI BANDARU DATTATREYA)

(a)  to  (c):  Estimates  of  employment  and  unemployment  are  obtained  through labour force surveys conducted by National Sample Survey Office (NSSO). Last such survey was conducted during 2011-12.  As per results of the surveys the Labour force participation rate (LFPR%) and  worker population ratio (WPR%) as per usual status (principal and subsidiary) are 39.5 and 38.6 respectively. Sectorwise estimated employment is given below:

| Sector               |   2011-12 |
|----------------------|-----------|
| Agriculture & Allied |      23.2 |
| Industries           |      11.5 |
| Services             |      12.7 |
| Total                |      47.4 |

(d) & (e): Government has taken several steps to revitalize agriculture sector and improve condition of farming community including labourers on sustainable basis by  increasing  investment,  improving  farm  practices  rural  infrastructure  and delivery of credit, technology and other inputs.  Various programmes/schemes for the  development  of  agriculture  sector  are  implemented  in  a  decentralized manner  with  flexibility  to  State  Governments  to  formulate  and  implement appropriate  projects  to  suit  their  specific  requirements.  In  order  to  ensure sustainable growth of farm sector and food security government is implementing schemes  such  as  Soil  Health  Card  (SHS),  Paramparagat  Krishi  Vikas  Yojana (PKVY),  Neem  Coated  Urea  (NCU),  National  Food  Security  Mission  (NFSM), Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), National Mission on Oilseeds and Oil Palm (NMOOP), Pradhan  Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojna (PMKSY), schemes  are  being  implemented.    On  the  Post-Production  side,  the  schemes implemented  by  this  Department  are  Mission  for  Integrated  Development  of Horticulture (MIDH), National Crop Insurance Programme (NCIP), Price Stabilization  Fund  (PSF),  Integrated  scheme  for  Agricultural  Marketing  which also provides for facility of godowns. Creation of a National Agri-tech Infrastructure  fund,  to  promote  development  of  a  unified  e-marketing  platform that would be common across all States.   In addition to above, agro-forestry is also being promoted for generating additional income to the farmers. There are various  legislations  to  protect  the  interest  of  labourers.  The  salaries/wages  of employees covered under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, Payment of Wages Act, 1936 and Equal Remuneration Act, 1976 in the companies are protected by the provisions of these Acts. Equal Remuneration Act, 1973 provides for payment of equal remuneration to men and women workers for the same work or work of similar  nature  without  any  discrimination.    The  Factories  Act,  1948  and  The Occupational  Safety  and  Health  Act,  2006  also  has  provisions  for  safety  of workers in the factories.

In order to ensure social security to the workers in the unorganised sector, the Government has enacted the Unorganised Workers' Social Security Act, 2008.

*****