MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
(SHRI RAMESWAR TELI)
(a): Migrant workers are engaged in various occupations. There exist several social security and welfare schemes for workers including migrant workers engaged in such occupations. Some of the prominent schemes are as follows;
Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) launched in 2015 provide for life & disability cover due to natural or accidental death. Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Man Dhan Pension Scheme (PM-SYM) launched in 2019 provides for old age social security in the form of
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monthly pension. Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) launched in 2018 provides Rs.5 lakh health coverage for secondary and tertiary health benefits to those migrant workers who are covered as eligible beneficiaries as per deprivation and occupation criteria. Model welfare schemes for the Building & other Construction Workers (BOCW) administered by State Welfare Boards. PM-SVANidhi Scheme facilitates collateral free working capital loan of upto Rs.10,000/- for one-year tenure to street vendors. Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana caters to the housing needs to all eligible beneficiaries.
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. In addition, the Government launched an initiative called SWADES (Skilled Workers Arrival Database for Employment Support) to conduct a skill mapping exercise of the returnee migrant workers from abroad under the Vande Bharat Mission. For facilitating employment opportunities, details of SWADES have been integrated with Skill India’s ASEEM Portal.
(b) & (c): Government of India has entrusted Labour Bureau to conduct All India Survey on Migrant Workers with the objective to generate basic quantitative information on migrant workers and the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on their work. The survey also aims to throw light on the socio-economic conditions of migrant workers, their education level, vocational/technical training, gender, social group,
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accommodation (housing), consumption expenditure, income, financial inclusion, and change in income after migration. The survey was launched on 1st April, 2021.
Ministry of Labour & Employment has also launched e-SHRAM portal, a National Database of the Unorganised Workers on 26th August, 2021. It has been made available to the States/UTs for registration of unorganised workers including migrant workers on e-SHRAM portal. The main objective of the e-SHRAM portal is to create a national database of unorganised workers seeded with Aadhaar. It is also to facilitate delivery of Social Security and welfare Schemes to such workers. As on 01.02.2022, more than 24.66 crore unorganised workers have been registered on this portal.
(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 the Working Conditions (OSH) Code. 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.
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