New Delhi: The number of workers from the unorganised sector registered on the e-Shram Portal for availing benefits under various welfare schemes of the Central government for the poor has shot up to 30.4 crore, the Ministry of Labour and Employment said on Monday.
The number of registrations has been growing at a rapid rate and averaged 60,000 a day during October 2024, according to the official statement.
The e-Shram “One-Stop Solution”, that provides access to various social security and welfare schemes in a single portal, was launched on 26th August 2021 to create a National Database of Unorganised Workers, verified with Aadhaar.
The schemes covered by the portal include the PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi), Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-Dhan Yojana (PMSYM) and Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya (PMJAY) and Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY).
PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi), which was launched on June 1, 2020, now covers 67.43 lakh hawkers.
The scheme aims to provide collateral-free working capital loans to street vendors. This initiative was introduced to help vendors resume their businesses, which were severely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, offering them financial support for recovery and self-reliance.
Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-Dhan Yojana (PMSYM) is a pension scheme for which over 45.75 lakh workers have been enrolled.
This scheme launched in 2019, aims to provide a minimum assured pension to workers in the unorganised sector, including migrant workers, upon reaching the age of 60. The scheme, announced in the Interim Budget, targets workers earning less than Rs 15,000 per month and offers a monthly pension of Rs 3,000 after they turn 60, ensuring financial security for their future.
Launched on September 23, 2018, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya health insurance scheme covers over 12 crore families (nearly 55 crore individuals).
The PMJAY scheme 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.
Notably, 11.9 lakh hospitalisations worth Rs 3,100 crore have been authorised under this portability feature, enhancing accessibility for beneficiaries nationwide, the official statement said.
Additionally, the government’s commitment to food security is strengthened by the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), which has been extended for the next five years starting from January 1, 2024.
This scheme provides free food grains and direct cash transfers to families below the poverty line, including migrant workers.
In addition, the One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) scheme, launched in 2018, ensures food security through the portability of ration cards across India.
Together, these initiatives create a robust safety net for migrant workers, guaranteeing access to food security no matter where they are in the country. Migrant laborers can easily access the benefits of the ONORC scheme, the statement added.
(IANS)
