(a) the State/UT-wise estimated number of women and men workers who do not own land but are engaged as agricultural labourers in the country;
(b) the per thousand distribution of female and male workforce in agriculture sector;
(c) the contribution of this workforce in national income; and
(d) the social security measures undertaken by the Government for the above workforce?
MINISTER OF STATE (IC) FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SHRI BANDARU DATTATREYA)
(a) The number of landless agricultural workers in India as per Census 2011 was 14.43 crores. A statement showing the state-wise data of landless agricultural workers is at Annexure I.
(b) As per the Census 2011, the per thousand distribution of male and female workforce in agriculture sector (agricultural labourers and cultivators) is 629 and 371 respectively.
(c) The data in respect of workforce-wise contribution to national income is not maintained by this ministry.
(d) With a view to providing social security to unorganised workers including landless agricultural labourers, the Government has enacted the “Unorganised Workers’ Social Security Act, 2008”. The Act provides for social security schemes viz. life and disability cover, health and maternity benefits, old age protection and any other benefit as may be determined by the Government for unorganised workers.
Government has already taken various steps to provide social security for the unorganized workers. Some of these schemes are listed as under:
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. Janshree Bima Yojana and AamAdmi Bima Yojana. (Department of Financial Services).
ix. Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana. (Ministry of Labour and Employment)
To encourage the workers in the unorganised sector to voluntarily save for their retirement, the Central Government launched a co-contributory pension scheme ‘Swavalamban’ on 26.09.2010. Under the scheme, Government will contribute Rs.1000 to every subscriber’s account who subscribes a minimum of Rs.1000 and a maximum of Rs.12000 per annum. As on 31.10.2013, 23.86 lakh beneficiaries have availed benefits under the scheme and a corpus of Rs.670 crore has been created.
The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 provides for the enhancement of livelihood security of the households in rural areas of the country by providing at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in every financial year to every household.