Centres' labour-centric schemes providing security cover to workers: Ex-CEA Subramanian

New Delhi: Spelling out the achievements of the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former Chief Economic Adviser Prof KV Subramanian has said that various initiatives taken by the Centre have given a kind of security cover to the

workers.

Subramanian stressed that due to different worker-centric schemes like Pradhan Mantri Shram, Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana, there is a belief among the workers of the unorganised sector that the country respects their hard work

equally.

"We have become a witness to the impact of these efforts of the country on our economy as during the Covid-19 pandemic the 'Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme' helped lakhs of small industries," he said.

Citing a findings of a study, former Chief Economic Adviser said, "This scheme saved the jobs of about 1.5 crore people. EPFO also helped employees a lot during the Covid-19 period as thousands of crores of rupees were given to them in advance."

"As the country supported its workers in their time of need and in the same way, the workers put their entire might in recovering from this pandemic. Today, India has again become the fastest growing economy in the world and a lot of credit goes to our workers," Subramanian stated.

In just one year, about 28 crore workers spanning 400 sectors have registered themselves with e-Shram Portal, which has especially benefited construction workers, migrant labourers and domestic workers, he said, adding that now these people are also getting the benefits of facilities like Universal Account

Number.

"The 'e-Shram Portal' is also being linked with the National Career Service, Aseem Portal and Udyam Portal to increase employment opportunities for workers," Subramanian

opined.

In the last eight years, we have taken the initiative to abolish the laws from the period of slavery that reflect the slave mentality as the country has reformed and simplified 29 labour laws into four simple labour codes, he said, adding that definition of inter-state migrant labour has also been simplified.