Question : Welfare-Social Schemes for Labourers

(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?

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-
Contd..2/-
:: 2 ::
(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)
iii. Janani Suraksha Yojana. (Ministry of Health and Family Welfare)
iv. Handloom Weavers’ Comprehensive Welfare Scheme. (Ministry of Textiles)
v. Handicraft Artisans’ Comprehensive Welfare Scheme. (Ministry of Textiles)
vi. Pension to Master Craft Persons. (Ministry of Textiles)
vii. National Scheme for Welfare of Fishermen and Training and Extension. (Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries)
viii. Aam Admi Bima Yojana. (Ministry of Labour and Employment)
ix. Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana. (Ministry of Health and Family Welfare).

(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.
(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.
Contd..3/-
:: 3 ::
(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.

********