Executive Summary:
The Ministry of Labour and Employment addresses a Lok Sabha question regarding the welfare of workers in organized and unorganized sectors. It outlines existing policies like the Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maandhan (PMSYM) scheme, Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC), and Employees Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) to provide health and pension benefits. The response details beneficiaries in Rajasthan and describes provisions for families of workers who died in accidents. It also acknowledges irregularities in compensation and steps to ensure justice for workers.
Key Points / Main Content:
* **Social Security Schemes:**
* PMSYM: Provides a monthly pension of ₹3,000 after age 60 for unorganized sector workers aged 18-40 with income up to ₹15,000, excluding EPFO, ESIC, or NPS members. It is a contributory scheme with equal contributions from the beneficiary and the Central Government.
* ESIC: Extends medical and social security to employees in factories/establishments with 10+ workers in implemented areas, earning up to ₹21,000 (₹25,000 for disabled). Benefits include medical, sickness, maternity, disablement, dependants, and funeral expenses (₹15,000).
* EPFO: Provides pensions under EPS, 1995 (member, early, disability, widow/widower, children). Implements EDLI Scheme, 1976 for one-time assurance benefit upon a member's death while in service.
* **Beneficiary Data (Rajasthan):**
* PMSYM: Beneficiaries from 2018-19 to 2024-25: 62855, 37295, 3090, 2592, 22053, 14800, 5085 respectively.
* ESIC: District-wise beneficiary data as of March 31st from 2019 to 2024 is annexed.
* EPFO: 2,04,343 pensioners from Rajasthan out of 81,48,438 total pensioners as of 2024-25. District-wise data not centrally maintained.
* **Accident Compensation:**
* Dependants benefit is provided under ESIC in case of death due to employment injury.
* Compensation to dependents of deceased employees is governed by the Employees' Compensation Act, 1923, administered by State Governments.
Impact Analysis:
* **Unorganized Sector Workers:**
* *Impact:* Access to pension benefits through PMSYM upon meeting eligibility criteria. Access to health care facilities under Labour Welfare Scheme.
* *Action Required:* Eligible workers should voluntarily enroll in PMSYM and contribute monthly to avail pension benefits.
* **Organized Sector Workers:**
* *Impact:* Social security coverage through ESIC and EPFO, including medical benefits, pensions, and insurance.
* *Action Required:* Ensure compliance with ESIC and EPFO regulations to provide mandated benefits to employees.
* **Families of Deceased Workers:**
* *Impact:* Entitlement to dependants benefits under ESIC and compensation under the Employees' Compensation Act, 1923.
* *Action Required:* File claims with ESIC and/or relevant State Government authorities to receive entitled benefits and compensation.
* **Ministry of Labour and Employment:**
* *Impact:* Responsible for implementing and overseeing the PMSYM scheme, ESIC, and EPFO.
* *Action Required:* Monitor the implementation of schemes, address irregularities in compensation, and ensure justice for workers.
* **State Governments:**
* *Impact:* Responsible for administering the Employees' Compensation Act, 1923.
* *Action Required:* Ensure proper implementation of the Act and address grievances related to compensation for deceased workers.
* **Factories/Companies:**
* *Impact:* Required to comply with ESIC and EPFO regulations and provide compensation as per the Employees' Compensation Act, 1923.
* *Action Required:* Ensure timely and accurate contributions to ESIC and EPFO, and provide fair compensation to dependents of deceased workers, avoiding irregularities.
Key Entities Referenced
Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maandhan: A scheme (PMSYM) implemented by the Ministry of Labour and Employment for the welfare of unorganized sector workers, providing a monthly pension of 3,000 after attaining 60 years of age for workers aged 18 to 40 years with monthly income up to 15,000.
Employees State Insurance Corporation: A statutory corporation (ESIC) that provides social security coverage to organized sector workers across various sectors through statutory schemes, extending medical and social security benefits to employees working in factories or establishments.
Employees Provident Fund Organization: An organization (EPFO) that provides social security coverage to organized sector workers across various sectors through statutory schemes.
Rajasthan: A state in India where the number of beneficiaries under PMSYM and ESIC are recorded and reported.
Employees Pension Scheme, 1995: A pension scheme (EPS) under EPFO providing various types of pensions such as Member Pension, early pension, disability pension, widow/widower Pension, and children Pension.
Employees Deposit Linked Insurance Scheme, 1976: An insurance scheme (EDLI) under EPFO providing one-time assurance benefit on the death of a member while in service.
Employees' Compensation Act, 1923: An act governing the compensation to the dependents of deceased employees, administered by the State Government.
Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan: A district in Rajasthan for which beneficiary data is tracked.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 148
TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.07.2025
WELFARE OF THE WORKERS OF ALL SECTORS
†148. SHRI BRIJENDRA SINGH OLA:
Will the Minister of LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT be pleased to state:
(a)whether the Government has any policy to provide health and pension
facilities to the workers engaged in the organized or unorganized
sectors in the country and if so, the details thereof;
(b)the details of the beneficiaries in Rajasthan including Jhunjhunu during
the last seven years, district and year-wise;
(c)the details of the existing provisions regarding type of assistance being
provided or should be provided to the families of the workers who died
in the accidents;
(d)whether the Government is aware that factories/companies commit
irregularities in providing compensation to the dependents of the
deceased and if so, the details thereof; and
(e)the details of the steps taken/being taken by the Government to ensure
that there should be no injustice to the workers?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
(SUSHRI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE)
(a) to (e): Ministry of Labour & Employment is implementing Pradhan
Mantri Shram Yogi Maandhan (PM-SYM) scheme and Labour Welfare
Scheme for the welfare of unorganized sector workers. Further,
Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) and Employees’ Provident
Fund Organization (EPFO) provide social security coverage to organized
sector workers across various sectors through statutory schemes.
Under PM- SYM scheme, workers aged 18 to 40 years with
monthly income up to ₹15,000 and who are not member of EPFO or ESIC
or National Pension Scheme (NPS) (Government funded) can voluntarily
enroll to receive a monthly pension of ₹3,000 after attaining 60 years of
age. The scheme is contributory in nature, with equal monthly
contributions by the beneficiary and the Central Government. The
Contd.. 2/-::2::
number of beneficiaries in Rajasthan during 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21,
2021-22, 2022-23,2023-24, 2024-25 were 62855, 37295, 3090, 2592, 22053,
14800, 5085 respectively. Under Labour Welfare Scheme, beedi / cine /
iron, manganese, chrome / limestone & dolomite / mica mine workers and
their dependents engaged in unorganized sectors are provided health care
facilities.
ESIC extends medical and social security benefits to employees working
in factories or establishments located in implemented areas where 10 or
more workers are employed. Employees earning wages up to ₹21,000 per
month (₹25,000 in the case of persons with disabilities) and their family
members are eligible for benefits. The key benefits are: medical benefit,
sickness benefit, maternity benefit, disablement benefit, dependants’
benefit, and funeral expenses.
In case of employment injury resulting in death, ESIC provides
dependants’ benefit under which periodic payment to the widow and other
dependants of the deceased insured person are made. Besides, funeral
expenses amounting to Rs. 15,000 is paid to the eldest surviving family
member or the person who incurred the funeral expenditure. The details
of beneficiaries enrolled under ESIC in Rajasthan, district -wise, during
31.03.2019 to 31.03.2024 is annexed.
The EPFO provides various types of pensions under Employees’
Pension Scheme (EPS), 1995 viz. Member Pension on attaining 58 years of
age, early pension from the age of 50 years, disability pension on total and
permanent disablement, widow / widower Pension, children Pension (for
up to two children till the age of 25), etc. EPFO also implements
Employees’ Deposit Linked Insurance (EDLI) Scheme, 1976 under which
one-time assurance benefit is provided on the death of a member while in
service. As of 2024-25, out of 81,48,438 pensioners under EPFO, 2,04,343
are from Rajasthan. District-wise enrolment data over the last 7 years is
not centrally maintained.
The compensation to the dependents of the deceased
employees is governed under the provisions of Employees' Compensation
Act, 1923 and the Act is administered by the State Government.
* ****ANNEXURE
ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 148 FOR 21.07.2025 BY SHRI BRIJENDRA SINGH OLA
REGARDING WELFARE OF THE WORKERS OF ALL SECTORS.
No. of ESIC beneficiaries in Rajasthan, district wise, as on 31.03.2019 to as on 31.3.2024
No. of Beneficiaries
Name of
As on As on As on As on As on As on
the District
31.03.2019 31.3.2020 31.3.2021 31.3.2022 31.3.2023 31.3.2024
Ajmer 183063 212655 208755 197041 219172 235717
Alwar 1263656 1040705 1092040 1022546 1123589 1363326
Banswara 62063 64891 59736 64293 99185 105037
Baran 19481 18408 21092 18249 18772 21579
Barmer 22477 30532 40035 45470 60286 69911
Bharatpur 36860 37686 37838 36989 41054 47344
Bhilwara 326817 282523 303408 278704 298774 336058
Bikaner 99528 123799 132062 120247 124238 137638
Bundi 19925 14985 18055 13998 12257 16156
Chittorgarh 127487 125142 124930 116345 118308 132936
Churu 7939 10381 11801 13091 15481 17283
Dausa 19939 22950 22018 23305 29537 37667
Dholpur 2434 6072 7659 6894 8149 9078
Dungapur 7193 6285 6625 8373 12895 15370
Ganganagar 52946 54168 53581 55724 61459 66292
Hanumangarh 28669 16702 18069 20104 23551 26799
Jaipur 2192600 2107807 2053706 1871948 2103753 2326194
Jaisalmer 12112 12882 13807 17866 20542 22933
Jalore 6894 9423 9676 8335 11227 14683
Jhalawar 41950 46862 51709 59411 54279 54303
Jhunjhunu 29018 28952 29043 27350 29059 28787
Jodhpur 353797 364698 364346 343978 367552 393437
Karauli 5510 5792 6591 6216 6220 6278
Kota 260440 250147 260314 227049 246311 270589
Nagaur 20698 21795 24671 23948 29023 34292
Pali 93977 92025 89849 87481 92085 99346
Pratapgarh 3999 5009 5148 4715 4265 4453
Rajsamand 50385 48967 44298 38500 39497 43410
Sawai
6509 8674 11270 13926 14203 15476
Madhopur
Sikar 21295 25163 28086 27447 36450 41766
Sirohi 77561 73037 73873 60919 63786 68694
Tonk 10261 13611 15485 15062 19438 21871
Udaipur 325317 346195 332882 309631 348440 377788
****