Lok Sabha Question No. 2760 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-03-14
Subject: Welfare/Social Schemes for Labourers
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: KALIKESH NARAYAN SINGH DEO, B. SREERAMULU, KAUSHALENDRA KUMAR, SAUGATA ROY, SATISH CHANDRA DUBEY, R. GOPALAKRISHNAN, PASHUPATI NATH SINGH, P. C. MOHAN, INNOCENT, BHOLA SINGH, OM BIRLA, CHANDU LAL SAHU

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2760

TO BE ANSWERED ON 14.03.2016

## WELFARE/SOCIAL SCHEMES FOR LABOURERS

## 2760. SHRI KALIKESH N. SINGH DEO:

SHRI B. SRIRAMULU:

SHRI KAUSHALENDRA KUMAR:

PROF. SAUGATA ROY:

SHRI SATISH CHANDRA DUBEY:

SHRI R. GOPALAKRISHNAN:

SHRI PASHUPATI NATH SINGH:

SHRI P.C. MOHAN:

SHRI INNOCENT:

SHRI BHOLA SINGH:

SHRI OM BIRLA:

SHRI CHANDU LAL SAHU:

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

- (a)whether  the Government  has  formulated  any  scheme/policy  for  the welfare  and  social  security  for  workers  of  the  organised/unorganised sector;
- (b)if  so,  the  details  and  the  number of beneficiaries therefor, State/UT-wise including  Jharkhand  and  details  of  the  fund  allocated/spent  on  the  said schemes, State/UT-wise;
- (c)whether  the  Government  has  received  any  complaints  suggestions  from the beneficiaries in this regard and if so, the details thereof along with the action taken/to be taken by the Government thereon;
- (d)whether  the  government  has  any  proposal  to  set  up  National  Social Security Fund or extend the ESI facilities to the workers of unorganized sector if so, the details thereof;
- (e)whether the Government has introduce unorganized workers Identification Number card (u-win Smart Cards for unorganized sector; and (f)if so, the details thereof and the total number of labourers covered therein along with total proposed cost of the said project?

## ANSWER

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

- (a): Welfare and social security of the workers in the organized sector is provided through five Central Acts, namely-

- (i)   The Employees
- ' State Insurance (ESI) Act, 1948
- (ii)  The  Employees ' Provident  Funds  (EPF)  &  Miscellaneous  Provisions  Act, 1952
- (iii) The Employee's Compensation Act, 1923
- (iv) The Maternity Benefit Act, 1961
- (v) The Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972

Workers covered under these acts are provided various types of benefits such as medical, sickness, maternity, provident Fund, superannuation/family pension, insurance, gratuity and compensation through various schemes like ESI  Scheme,  EPF  Scheme,  1952,  Employees'  Deposit  Linked  Insurance Scheme,1976  and  Employees'  Pension  Scheme,1995,  framed  under  these

Acts.

So  far  as  workers  under  the  unorganized  sector  are  concerned,    the 'Unorganized  Workers'  Social  Security  Act,  2008'  has  been  enacted  under which under mentioned welfare schemes have been formulated and are being administered by different Ministries/Department:-

- i)  Indira  Gandhi  National  Old  Age  Pension    Scheme.  (Ministry  of  Rural Development)
- ii. National Family Benefit Scheme. (Ministry of Rural Development)
3. iii.
4. Janani Suraksha Yojana. (Ministry of Health and Family Welfare)
- iv. Handloom  Weavers'  Comprehensive  Welfare Scheme.  (Ministry Textiles)
6. of
- v. Handicraft Artisans' Comprehensive  Welfare  Scheme.  (Ministry  of Textiles)
8. vi.
9. Pension to Master Craft Persons. (Ministry of Textiles)
10. National Scheme for Welfare of Fishermen and Training and Extension.
- vii. (Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries)
12. viii.
13. Aam Admi Bima Yojana. (Ministry of Labour and Employment)
- ix. Rashtriya  Swasthya  Bima  Yojana.  (Ministry  of  Health  and  Family Welfare).
15. (b): The  details  of  beneficiaries  and  funds  allocated/spent  under  these schemes, States/UT-wise, is being collected and will be laid on the table of the House.
16. (c):        With  crores  of  beneficiaries  under  these  schemes,  good  number  of complaints/suggestions are received by the Ministries/Departments administering these schemes. All efforts are made to redress the complaints in a time bound manner.

(d):      The  Government  has  constituted  the  'National  Social  Security  Fund' with a corpus of Rs.1,500/- crores, which supports social security schemes. The ESI Corporation has also taken initiative to provide ESI cover to certain sections of unorganized sector like Auto Rickshaw drivers, on pilot basis.

(e) to (f): Identification  and  issuance  of  the  smart  card  to  unorganized workers come under the purview of the respective State/UT Governments as per  the  Unorganized  Workers'  Social  Security  Act,  2008.  Government  had proposed  a  unified  IT  based  platform  for  delivery  of  the  services  available under various social security schemes to unorganized workers. The proposal, however, is being reviewed on the basis of remarks/comments received from various  stakeholders.  In  view  of  near  universal  coverage  of  Aadhaar,  the Government  is  working  on  a  policy  on  delivery  of  various  public  services using Aadhaar, Jan Dhan Yojana account (JDY) and existing platform without the issuance of new smart cards.

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