MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
(SHRI RAMESWAR TELI)
(a): In order to safeguard the interest of the migrant workers, the Central Government had enacted the Inter-state Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979. This Act has now been subsumed in the Occupational Safety, Health and the Code has been notified on 29.09.2020. The OSH Code provides for decent working conditions, minimum wages, grievances redressal mechanisms, protection from abuse and exploitation, enhancement of skills and social security to all categories of workers including migrant workers. Further, the labour bureau under the Ministry of Labour & Employment has launched an All India Survey of Migrant Workers with effect from 1st April 2021.
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The Ministry has also launched e-Sharam portal on 26.08.2021 for registration of unorganised workers including migrant workers. Till 09th December, 2021 11.08 crore workers have been registered. One of the main objectives of the portal is to ensure portability of benefits of welfare schemes to the migrant workers.
As regards international migrant workers, the Pravasi Bharatiya Bima Yojana (PBBY), a mandatory insurance scheme for workers going to Emigrants Check required (ECR) countries, has been revised w.e.f. August 1, 2017, to make settlement of claims simpler for the benefit of our workers. About 12.20 lakh policies have been issued from 2017-18 till January 2021.
During the pandemic, the Government launched an initiative SWADES (Skilled Workers Arrival Database for Employment Support) to conduct a skill mapping exercise of the returning workers under the Vande Bharat Mission. For facilitating employment opportunities, details of SWADES have been integrated with Skill India’s ASEEM (Aatmanirbhar Skilled Employee Employer Mapping) portal.
(b): The number of migrant workers who returned to their home State during Covid – 19 is given at Annexure - I.
The top 20 States which received migrant workers from abroad under Vande Bharat Mission is at Annexure - II
(c) to (e): Migrant workers are engaged in various occupations. There exist several social security and welfare schemes for workers including migrant workers engaged in such occupations. However, during Covid – 19 pandemic period since March, 2020, Union Government has taken several additional measures for the benefits of workers, such as; creation of 39.51 lakh new job opportunities by crediting Rs.2583 crores in EPF accounts under Atmanirbhar Bharat Rozgar Yojana (ABRY), benefits of Rs.2567 crores to retain 38.91 lakh low wage employees under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY), financial assistance of Rs.7413 crore to Building & other Construction Workers (BOCW), unemployment benefit under Atal Beemit Vyakti Kalyan Yojana (ABVKY), Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyan (PMGKRA) generating 50.78 crore mandays with Rs.39,293 crores, working capital loan to street vendors under PM-SVA Nidhi Scheme, free food grain of 5 kg per person per month to all Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) beneficiaries and special training programme under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) Scheme as a part of Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan (GKRA) in the districts having high concentration of returnee migrants.
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