Lok Sabha Question No. 3230 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-08-10
Subject: Welfare Schemes for Workers
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: RAJENDRA AGRAWAL, PRALHAD VENKATESH JOSHI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3230 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10TH AUGUST, 2015

## WELFARE SCHEMES FOR WORKERS

## 3230.  SHRI RAJENDRA AGRAWAL: SHRI PRALHAD JOSHI:

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

- (a) the details of the total employment in both organised and unorganised sector in the country, sector-wise during the last three years and the current year;
- (b) the  details  of  welfare  schemes  formulated  for  unorganised  workers  on matters  relating  to  life  and  disability  cover,  health  and  maternity  benefits, old age protection and any other benefits;
- (c) whether  the  Government  has  formulated  any  schemes  for  the  welfare  of women working in unorganised sector particularly in non-farming sector and if so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  total  number  of  women  benefited  from  those schemes during the last two years;
- (d) the  measures  taken  by  the  Government  for  skill  development  of  women workers and the achievements thereof; and
- (e) whether  women  workers  face  discrimination  in  pay  and  other  benefits  in non  farming  sector  and  if  so,  the  steps  taken  to  address  the  issue  and  the outcome thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(a):  Reliable  estimates  of  employment  and  unemployment  are  obtained  through labour force surveys conducted by National Sample Survey Office (NSSO). As per the NSSO survey results for 2011-12, the estimated employment in organized sector and unorganized  sector  was  8.16  crore  persons  and  39.14  crore  persons  respectively. The  estimated  number  of  persons  working  in  various  sectors  during  2009-10  and 2011-12 are given below:

(in crore persons)

| Workforce by Major Sector   |   2009-10 |   2011-12 |
|-----------------------------|-----------|-----------|
| Agriculture & Allied        |     24.74 |     23.18 |
| Industry                    |      9.99 |     11.50 |
| Services                    |     11.81 |     12.73 |
| Total Workforce             |     46.54 |     47.41 |

(b) & (c): To provide social security to unorganized workers the Government enacted the  'Unorganised  Workers'  Social  Security  Act,  2008'.  As  per  the  act,  Central Government is mandated to formulate and notify, from time to time, suitable welfare schemes for unorganised workers on matters relating to (a) life and disability cover, (b) health and maternity benefits, (c) old age protection and (d) any other benefit as may  be  determined  by  the  Government  for  unorganized  workers.  Unorganised Workers'  Social  Security  Act,  schedule  I  lists  the  following  schemes  as  welfare schemes for unorganised workers and beneficiaries thereof are as given below:

| Social Security Schemes                                                       |   Beneficiaries (No.) |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------|
| Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (as on 31.12.2014)              |              20833673 |
| National Family Benefit Scheme (2014-15)                                      |                175592 |
| Janani Suraksha Yojana (2013-14)                                              |              10648487 |
| Handloom Weavers' Comprehensive Welfare Scheme (2013-14)                      |               2348688 |
| Handicraft Artisans' Comprehensive Welfare Scheme (2013-14)                   |                 16089 |
| National Scheme for Welfare of Fishermen and Training and Extension (2013-14) |               4325692 |
| Janshree Bima Yojana and Aam Admi Bima Yojana (2013-14)                       |              50307950 |
| Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (2013-14)                                      |              38515411 |

(d):  Government  has  taken  various  steps  to  improve  status  of  women  workers,  to provide  training  and  employment  exclusively  to  women  under  Skill  Development, one National Vocational Training Institute  (NVTI)  at  Noida,  Uttar  Pradesh  and  ten Regional Vocational Training Institutes (RVTIs) have been set up across the Country, the sanctioned seating capacity of these institutes, the targets fixed for providing skill  training  for  the  year  2014-15  were  fixed  at  3260  seats.  The  Government  has approved  8  new  Regional  Vocational  Training  Institutes  for  Women  in  the  states where there is no existing RVTI.

(e):  Government  has  enacted  the  Equal  Remuneration  Act,  1976  that  provides  for payment of equal remuneration to men and women workers for same work or work of similar nature in the matter of employment and also prohibits any discrimination against women in recruitment or any condition of service. The Act is being enforced by  the  Central  and  State  Governments  in  their  respective  spheres  to  ensure compliance of provisions of the Act. Officers of appropriate Government notified as inspectors  make  inspections  and  prosecute  those  found  violating  the  provision  of the Act. The Act extends to the whole of India.

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