PM Modi said the country is now changing, reforming, simplifying  labour laws.

TIRUPATI, Aug 26 (The CONNECT) - Over Rs 38,000 crores collected as cess for building and construction workers remains unspent, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said.

Addressing the National Conference of Labour Ministers of all States and Union Territories via video conferencing yesterday, Modi said the building and construction workers are an integral part of our workforce and requested everyone present on the occasion to make full use of the 'cess' that has been arranged for them.

“I have been told that out of this cess, about Rs 38,000 crore has still not been utilized by the states”, the Prime Minister said. He urged everybody to pay attention to how ESIC together with the Ayushman Bharat scheme can benefit more and more workers. The Prime Minister concluded his address by assuring everyone that these collective efforts of ours will play an important role in revealing the true potential of the country.

The two-day conference is being held in the pilgrim city of Tirupati and Modi addressed the meet via video conference.

The Prime Minister reiterated the various efforts by the Government like Pradhan Mantri Shram-Yogi Maandhan Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana that have given a kind of security cover to the workers. These schemes have assured the labourers of the recognition of their hard work and contribution. The Prime Minister also said, “The Emergency Credit Guarantee Scheme, according to a study, saved 1.5 crore jobs during the pandemic.”

“We are seeing that just as the country supported its workers in their time of need, in the same way, the workers have put their full strength into recovering from this epidemic,” he said and pointed out that today India has once again become the fastest growing economy in the world, so a lot of credit goes to our workers.

He the e-Shram portal is one of the key initiatives to bring the labour force into the ambit of social security. In just one year, about 28 crore workers from 400 areas have been registered on the portal. This has especially benefited construction workers, migrant labourers, and domestic workers. He requested all the ministers to integrate state portals with the e-Shram portal.

He further added that in the last eight years, the Government has taken the initiative to abolish the laws from the period of slavery that reflect the slavery mentality. “The country is now changing, reforming, simplifying such labour laws.”, the Prime Minister said. “With this in mind, 29 labour laws have been converted into 4 simple labour codes”. This will ensure the empowerment of workers via minimum wages, job security, social security, and health security, he added.

Remarking on the demographic dividend of India, the Prime Minister said that India's success in the 21st century will depend on how well it is used. He added, “We can take advantage of global opportunities by creating a high-quality skilled workforce.” The Prime Minister also highlighted that India is signing migration and mobility partnership agreements with many countries