प्रवासी मजदूरों के लिए केंद्रीय प्रायोजित योजनाएं : राज्यसभा में दिया गया जवाब

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.09.2020

CENTRALLY SPONSORED SCHEMES FOR MIGRANT LABOURERS

1230 SHRI K.P. MUNUSAMY:

Will the Minister of Labour and Employment be pleased to state:

(a)whether Government provide employment opportunities to migrated people in large numbers during the current year;

(b)if so, the details thereof;

(c)the details of centrally sponsored schemes in this regard; and

(d)the details of funds proposed for this purpose?

ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE (IC) FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

(SHRI SANTOSH KUMAR GANGWAR)

(a) to (d): The global spread of the corona virus (Covid-19) followed by lockdowns has caused economic disruptions across the globe including India. Covid-19 has also resulted in migration of large number of workers from destination States to the Home States. However, now, with the process of the unlock-down, many migrant workers have started returning to their work place in the destination States.

In order to boost employment and livelihood opportunities for migrant workers, returning to villages, in the wake of COVID-19 outbreak, Government of India has launched Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan on 20th June 2020. The Abhiyaan focuses on durable rural infrastructure and providing modern facilities like internet in the villages. Skill Mapping of the rural migrant labour is also being done to enhance their employability on the basis of the skills, they possessed to enable them work closer to their homes. The Abhiyaan involves intensified and focused implementation of 25 target driven works to provide employment and create infrastructure in the rural areas of 116 districts of 6 States with a resource envelope of Rs 50,000 crore. The Abhiyaan has already generated 28,75,06,108 man-days employment till date. Apart from this, the Ministry of Women and Child Development has launched various schemes for migrant workers who have returned to their native places. One of the schemes is Anganwadi services which has been extended to children of migrant workers.

For the benefit of 50 lakh street vendors, Government of India has also launched SVANidhi Scheme to provide them collateral free working capital loan upto Rs.10,000/- to resume their lost livelihood due to Covid and lock-down. In rural areas, wages under MGNREGA have been enhanced from Rs. 182/- to Rs. 202/- per day for the benefit of rural workers including returning migrant workers.

Apart from above, various initiatives have been taken by the Ministry of Labour and Employment as part of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana(PMGKY) and Atmanirbhar Bharat which, interalia, include (i) payment of 12% employers’ share and 12% employees’ share under Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF), totalling 24% by the Government of India for six wage months from March to August, 2020 for all the establishments having up to 100 employees with 90% of such employees earning less than Rs.15,000 monthly wage; (ii) reduction in PF contribution from 12% to 10% of wages for the wage months of May, June and July, 2020; (iii) non-refundable Covid advance from the PF by amending the EPF Scheme, 1952; (iv) view of advisory to State/UTs for using Building and other Construction Workers (BOCW) cess fund for transfer of adequate funds in the bank account of construction workers affected by COVID19 outbreak approximately Rs. 5,000/- crore has been transferred to around 1.83 crore BOC Worker in their bank account; (v) issue of advisory to Employees Association for supporting employees and workers by not terminating them and not cutting their wages; Ministry of Food Processing Industries have sanctioned 700 food processing/preservation and infrastructure projects in which migrant labourers can 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.

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