Labour and Employment Minister Santosh Kumar Gangwar has asked the expert group of the Labour Bureau to finalise the survey on migration at the earliest so that data on the number of migrant workers can be compiled, a Labour Ministry statement said on Friday.
On Thursday, Mr. Gangwar addressed the first meeting of the group, chaired by Kolkata University Professor Emeritus S.P. Mukhrjee, to discuss the three surveys to be carried out by the Labour Bureau on migration, domestic workers and professional bodies.
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The expert group has been set up for a period of three years to provide technical advice to the Labour Bureau regarding the surveys.
Minister’s concern
Mr. Gangwar expressed “deep concern over the difficulties faced by migrant workers in these pandemic times”, and said there was a need for reliable data about these workers, the statement said.
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“The migration survey to be undertaken by Labour Bureau will provide authentic estimates of the number of migrant workers in the country, along with an assessment of the issues being faced by them. Given the urgent need of this data, he urged the expert group to finalise all the technical details related to this survey at the earliest so that the same can be launched without any delay,” the statement said.
Mr. Gangwar said the survey on domestic workers, who form about 3% of the workers in the country, would be a first of its kind and would help the government identify the problems faced by domestic workers in order to formulate policies for their benefit.
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The survey on professional bodies would help in assessing the employment and unemployment in various fields.
Periodic estimation
“Given the high proportion of employment generated in professions like charted accountants, lawyers, and doctors, there’s a need to undertake a periodic estimation of the employment created in such professions. The survey aims at generating reliable and frequent database on employment which will serve as an input in overall employment planning and promotion,” the statement said.
