New Delhi: In its latest outreach aimed at migrant workers, the Modi government is planning to launch the Shramik Setu, an online portal that will also have an app version, ThePrint has learnt.
The portal will not only help the workers get details of the different welfare schemes run by the central and state governments but also apply online and avail of benefits targeting them.
An initiative of the Union labour and employment ministry, the government is likely to launch the Shramik Setu app next month. Government sources said that the project has already been cleared by the Prime Minister’s Office.
A senior labour ministry official said those working in the unorganised sector will have to register on the portal using their Aadhaar or bank account numbers. They will have to fill in details such as their name, age, native place, what they do for a living and the state where they work, among others.
“”Basically, it will be self registration. Shramik Setu will have data of all migrant/unorganised sector workers,” said the official who did not want to be named. “Once they register, they will be able to view the different welfare schemes run by states and how they can avail them.”
The initiative is the latest in a slew of measures that the Modi government has taken since 25 March when the nationwide lockdown left lakhs of migrants without work. Having faced severe flak for not responding to their plight initially, the government had since announced welfare initiatives, including free rations and jobs under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana and the recently-launched Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Rozgar Yojana.
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The Shramik Setu project
Under the Shramik Setu project, the official quoted above said, unorganised sector workers will also be able to apply online and avail benefits of the government’s insurance and pension schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana and PM Shram Yogi Maan-dhan Yojana respectively. If migrant workers move to a different city or state they will also be able to update their status.
A second ministry official said that the workers can either download the app on their mobile phones or visit the common service centres/ e-suvidha kendras set up at the panchayat level to register. “Common service centres have staff to help those who are not literate,” the official said.
“This will be a big help for the workers. All that they have to do is register and apply and the pension will be transferred to their bank account,” the official added. “They can lodge their grievances too on the portal.”
The labour ministry has already completed the groundwork for the Shramik Setu project. “The National Informatics Centre will set up the portal,” said the first labour ministry official.
The ministry has held several meetings with the PMO to discuss the project. “Initially, there was talk of giving an identification number to each of the migrant workers. But the PMO ruled that out saying that there is no need for another number. Just having Aadhar should suffice,” the official added.
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