Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme : Employment Scheme

LOK SABHA 

EMPLOYMENT SCHEMES

149.  SHRI OMPRAKASH BHUPALSINH alias PAWAN RAJENIMBALKAR
         SHRI KRUPAL BALAJI TUMANE

Will the Minister of LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT be pleased to state:

(a) the details of the schemes of the Government to reduce unemployment which is increasing continuously in the country;

(b) whether the employment opportunities have reduced and the percentage of unemployment has increased in the country during the last six months; if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the Government proposes to provide any financial assistance to the people who have lost their jobs during the second wave of Covid-19; if so, the details thereof;

(d) the State/UT-wise number of casual/contractual workers retrenched during the second wave of Covid-19 pandamic;

(e) the details of welfare measures to compensate the said workers for losing their jobs along with the number of workers who have been provided adequate compensation; and

(f) whether the Government has implemented any scheme to provide financial assistance to the said workers/ labourers and if so, the details thereof?

(SHRI RAMESWAR TELI)

(a) to (c): Employment generation coupled with improving employability is the priority of the Government. Government has taken various steps for generating employment in the country like encouraging various projects involving substantial investment and increasing public expenditure on schemes like Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) and Deendayal Antodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) run by Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, Ministry of Rural Development and Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, respectively.

As per the results of Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) conducted by National Statistical Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation during 2017-18 and 2019-20, the estimated Unemployment Rate (UR) on usual status basis for 15 years and above decreased from 6.0% in 2017-18 to 4.8% in 2019-20 respectively.

Government is providing fiscal stimulus of more than Rs. twenty seven lakh crore as part of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat financial Package. Aatmanirbhar Bharat package comprises various long term schemes/ programmes/ policies for making the country self-reliant and to create employment opportunities.

Prime Minister  Street Vendor’s Atma Nirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) Scheme was launched on June 01, 2020 to provide working capital loan to Street  Vendors, vending in urban areas, to resume their businesses, which were hurt adversely due to COVID-19 induced lockdown.

Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana

Under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY), Government of India has contributed both 12% employer’s share and 12% employee’s share under Employees Provident Fund (EPF), totaling 24% of the wage for the wage month from March to August, 2020 for the establishments having upto 100 employees with 90% of such employees earning less than Rs. 15000/-.This has helped in protecting employment in EPFO registered establishments during post Covid period.

Government had launched the Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan (GKRA) of 125 days on 20th June,  2020 to boost employment and livelihood opportunities for returnee migrant workers and similarly affected persons including youth in rural areas, in 116 selected districts across 6 States of Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

The unemployment benefit under the Atal Beemit Vyakti Kalyan Yojana being implemented by the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) has been enhanced to 50% from 25% of the average wage, payable upto 90 days, alongwith relaxation of eligibility conditions to claim the benefit.

Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) is being implemented by the Government inter alia, for facilitating self-employment. Under PMMY collateral free loans upto Rs. 10 lakh, are extended to micro/small business enterprises and to individuals to enable them to setup or expand their business activities.

In addition, RBI and Government of India have introduced measures to infuse liquidity in the economy to sustain the market economy and raise the level of employment.

The flagship programmes of the Government such as Make in India, Digital India, Smart City Mission, Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation, Housing for All, Infrastructure development and Industrial corridors and Production-

Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme are oriented to generate productive and sustainable employment opportunities.

(d) to (f): As per the result of the first round of Quarterly Employment Survey (QES) for the period April to June, 2021, Sector-wise Impact on Number of Employees during Lockdown Period (25th March 2020 to 30th June 2020) is at Annexure.

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Government administers the Building & Other Construction Workers (BOCW) (RE&CS) Act, 1996 [BOCW (RE&CS) Act, 1996], BOCW Welfare Cess Act, 1996 and its related rules, and the onus of implementation of the provisions of the Acts and its related rules lies with the States/UTs through their State/UT BOCW Welfare Boards. As per Section 22 of the BOCW (RE&CS) Act, 1996, the State / UT Governments through State / UT BOCW Welfare Boards are empowered and entrusted for making provisions for providing Social Security and implementation of welfare schemes for Building and Other Construction Workers.

Further, in the backdrop of a challenging situation due to the outbreak of Covid-19 which led to financial constraints among the Building & Other Construction Workers (BOCW), the States/UTs were issued Advisory under Section 60 of the BOCW(RE&CS) Act, 1996 to frame a scheme under Section 22(1)(h) of BOCW(RE&CS) Act, 1996 for transfer of adequate funds in the Bank accounts of construction workers, through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) Mode.

In response to advisory, during the 1st wave of Covid-19, the State/UT  BOCW Welfare Boards have cumulatively disbursed more than Rs. 5618 Crores, through DBT, to the bank accounts of 1.83 Crores BOC Workers during lockdown and thereafter. Food relief packages have also been provided by the States/UTs to around 30 lakh workers from the cess fund. Further, during the 2nd wave of Covid- 19, Rs. 1795 Crores have been disbursed through DBT, to the bank accounts of 1.23 Crores BOC Workers.

Aatmanirbhar Bharat Rojgar Yojana

Aatmanirbhar Bharat Rojgar Yojana (ABRY) was launched with effect from 1st October, 2020 as part of Atmanirbhar Bharat package 3.0 to incentivize employers for creation of new employment along with social security benefits and restoration of loss of employment during Covid-19 pandemic. This scheme being implemented through Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), seeks to reduce the financial burden of the employers and encourages them to hire more workers. The terminal date for registration of beneficiaries has been extended from 30.06.2021 to 31.03.2022. As on 20.11.2021, benefit has been provided to 39.43 lakh beneficiaries through 1.15 lakh establishments.

Annexure

Annex referred to in reply to part (d) to (f) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 149 for 29.11.2021

Sector-wise Impact on Number of Employees during Lockdown Period (25th March 2020 to 30th June 2020)