(a)the total number of internal migrants in the country, State/UT-wise;
(b)the total number of migrants from the State of Andhra Pradesh;
(c)whether the Government intends to take measures for their welfare; and
(d)if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?
MINISTER OF STATE (IC) FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
(SHRI SANTOSH KUMAR GANGWAR)
(a) & (b): Migration of workers from one State to another State is a continuous process and the migrant workers keep on moving from one State to other States in search of work.
According to the Economic Survey 2016-2017 the size of the workforce as per Census 2011, was 482 million (48.2 crore) people and based on extrapolation, this figure would have exceeded 500 million (50 crore) in 2016. If the share of migrants in the workforce is estimated to be even 20%, the size of the migrant workforce can be estimated to be over 100 million (10 crore) in 2016 in absolute terms.
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As per the data received from States/UTs the total number of migrant workers who returned to their home States during Covid – 19 lockdown is 1,14,30,968 out of which 32,571 belonged to the State of Andhra Pradesh. State/UT-wise figures of internal migrant workers is at Annexure.
(c) & (d): 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 Working Conditions (OSH) Code, 2020 and the Code has been notified on 29.09.2020. The OSH Code provides for decent working conditions, minimum wages, grievances redressal mechanisms, toll free helpline, protection from abuse and exploitation etc. for all category of workers including migrant workers.
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