Labour Minister launches software for 5 pan-India surveys

New Delhi, Feb 18 (PTI): Stressing on the importance of accurate data for policy making, Labour Minister Santosh Gangwar on Thursday launched software applications for five pan-India surveys, including on migrant and domestic workers.
The minister also released instruction manuals with questionnaires for the five pan-India surveys being conducted by the Labour Bureau.
Addressing the occasion, Gangwar said, “Accurate data plays an important role in policy making. In the absence of accurate data, you cannot analyse the present situation and its impact in the future. It is important, so that benefits of policies percolate down to grass-route level.”
He informed that with the use of information technology, 30 to 40 per cent time would be saved while conducting these five surveys and an IT partner would also be roped in for the purpose.
These five surveys being undertaken by the Labour Bureau are — All-India Survey on Migrant workers, All-India Survey on Domestic Workers, All-India Survey on Employment Generated by Professionals, All-India Survey on Employment Generated in Transport Sector, and All-India Quarterly Establishment based Employment Survey.
On this occasion, Labour Secretary Apurva Chandra said that timely release of data is important as it enables to evaluate efficacy of the government policies on the ground.
He said, “A couple of months back, Atmanirbhar Bharat Rozgar Yojana (ABRY) with an outlay of Rs 25,000 crore for two year was launched. This is aimed at providing employment to 54 lakh new workers in fold of EPFO. The efficacy of these schemes would be known through these surveys.”
Under ABRY, the government of India will pay both 12 per cent employees’ contribution and 12 per cent employers’ contribution i.e. 24 per cent of wages towards EPF (employees provident fund scheme) in respect of new employees for two years.