The government on Thursday announced the launch of e-Shram, a portal that will help build a comprehensive National Database of Unorganised Workers (NDUW) in the country.
Minister for labour and employment Bhupender Yadav formally launched e-Shram portal and handed it over to the states/UTs. The portal will be a game changer where more than 380 million workers would register themselves, he said.
“For the first time in the history of India, a system is being made to register 380 million unorganised workers. It will not only register them but would also be helpful in delivering of various social security schemes being implemented by the central and state governments”, the minister said while also emphasising that it is another key milestone towards furthering the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi towards the welfare of the unorganised workers, who are the nation builders.
Yadav also said that every unorganised sector worker registered in the e-Shram portal would be entitled to a Rs2 lakh accidental insurance cover. If a worker is registered on the e-Shram portal and meets with an accident, he/she will be eligible for Rs2 lakh on death or permanent disability and Rs1 lakh in case of partial disability.
Highlighting the features of the e-Shram portal, minister of state for labour and employment and petroleum and natural gas, Rameswar Teli, said the portal, which inter-alia aims to create a national database of all unorganised workers and appealed to the people across the country to be part of this campaign and get all unorganised workers registered on the e-Shram portal and become a partner in fulfilling the much-needed goal of the Government of India.
Both ministers also interacted with workers from Ajmer, Dibrugarh, Chennai and Varanasi who virtually connected from the Common Service Centres and shared their experiences and expectations.
Upon registration, the worker will be issued an e-Shram card with unique Universal Account Number (UAN) and will be able to access the benefits of the various social security schemes through this card anywhere anytime, Apurva Chandra, secretary, labour ministry, said..
Registration under the e-Shram portal is totally free and workers do not have to pay anything for his or her registration at Common Service Centres (CSCs) or anywhere, he added
The demonstration of the portal has already been given to all states/ UTs during the first and second pre-launch meetings held with them during July/ August. Detailed guidelines for operationalisation of portal and mobilisation of workers have also been issued.
The union labour minister on Tuesday also interacted with leaders of major central trade unions of the country, including Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Hindu Mahasabha (HMS), Centre for Indian Trade Union (CITU), All India United Trade Union Centre (AIUTUC), Trade Union Coordination Centre (TUCC), Self-employed Women’s Association (SEWA), United Trade Union Centre (UTUC), National Front of Indian Trade Unions (DHN).
Trade union leaders expressed the hope that this will be a game changer for the well-being of unorganised workers who are the nation builders of the country and offered their unflinching support to the honorable cause of registering unorganised workers in the e-Shram portal.