MINISTER OF STATE (IC) FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
(SHRI SANTOSH KUMAR GANGWAR)
(a) & (b): India, as a Nation, has responded through the Central government, State governments, Local Bodies, Self-help Groups, Resident Welfare Associations, Medical Health Professionals, Sanitation Workers as well as large number of genuine and bonafide non-governmental organizations in the Nation’s fight against the unprecedented human crisis due to the outbreak of Covid – 19 and country-wide lockdown. The details of labourers belonging to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar returned to their native state are as under:
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(1) Uttar Pradesh- 3249638
(2) Bihar - 1500612
(c): Forced retention during Covid-19 has not been reported. The Central Government has issued comprehensive Advisory Guidelines on 27.07.2020 to all the States/UTs for the welfare of the migrant workers returning to the destination States in the backdrop of Covid – 19. The States/UTs have been advised to take adequate steps to streamline the migration of the workers to mitigate the hardships of migrant workers returning to the destination States/UTs. The States/UTs have been advised to implement the advisory guidelines by quickly gearing up their labour Law enforcement machinery and ensuring statutory compliance by all the stake-holders which could provide migrant workers much needed help to mitigate the financial crisis and empower them to deal with the pandemic. The States/UTs have also been advised to maintain updated data of the migrant workers to facilitate the administration to extend benefits of the welfare schemes of the Government to the migrant workers.
Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and public distribution under the Atma Nirbhar Bharat Scheme allocated 8 lakh MT of food grains to all the States/UTs for free of cost distribution at the scale of 5 kg per person to about 8 crore migrant/stranded migrant persons who are neither able to access food grains through National Food Security Act (NFSA) nor through any other State PDS Scheme during the Covid – 19 situation. Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has launched schemes i.e. Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban), Deen Dayal Antodaya Yojana – National Livelihoods Mission, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – urban to reduce poverty and vulnerability of the urban poor. Ministry of Commerce and Industry has helped a large number of migrant workers working in Special Economic Zone (SEZ) with dry ration, water, sanitation and medical assistance.
To empower millions of migrant workers/labourers working in various organized and unorganized sectors to seamlessly receive their food security entitlements under National Food Security Act (NFSA), irrespective of their physical location in the country the Government has started the implementation of One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) Plan. With the implementation of this plan the migrant
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beneficiary can get food security from any fair price shop of his choice anywhere in the country.
(d): A Statement is enclosed:
(e): No such data is maintained. However, Ministry of Food processing industries have sanctioned 700 food processing/preservation and infrastructure projects in which migrant labourers will get employment. To provide employment to the migrant workers Ministry of Transport and Highways has identified the ongoing works/new works for the road construction. Ministry of Steel assisted migrant workers and their families with food packets and face mask, milk powder etc. The Department of Bio Technology has set up 30 Biotech – Kisan hubs in the country covering all Agroclimatic zones, 150 Districts including 101 aspirational districts which will help migrant workers to earn their livelihood through farming and expose them to the innovative methods of farming of high value crops. Department of Financial Services has launched various flagship schemes like Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jivan Jyoti Bima Yojana, Atal Pension Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana & Standup India for helping the unbanked and marginalized sections of the society for availing bank facilities, social security and self-employment. All these schemes are for helping the unbanked and marginalized sections of the society for availing bank facilities, social security and self-employment. These schemes are accessible universally, including the migrant labourers as per the eligibility criteria under each scheme.
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