Hyderabad: The Covid-19 is not only making people sick. It has also dealt a deadly blow to the country’s economy. In order to break the chain of Covid-19 infection, many States have resorted to partial or complete lockdown, which has left many people in a bad shape. With the works being stopped, the workers are returning to their villages again. Big industries are facing a huge shortage of workers. There is no work for daily wagers. It is a piquant situation the country is caught in with little or no remedy in sight. Here is a comprehensive story on the prevalent situation countrywide, which has been prepared with inputs from ETV Bharat bureaus. Read to know the employment situation in your State!
The much-touted Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA), the backbone of the rural economy, is also proving to be of little succor to the poor people in these trying times of Covid-19. The livelihood of the unorganized sector workers and those engaged in the tourism sector has been affected the most. The condition of private teachers associated with the world of education also cannot be said to be good. Due to the cancellation of most trains, there has also been a big threat to the livelihood of porters, auto drivers, hotel operators and shopkeepers.
ASSAM
In Assam, 91.09 lakh man-days were created under the MGNREGA during the year 2020-21. During the financial year, 7,111 works were completed and a total of Rs 21681.59 lakh was spent on these works. A total of Rs 21402.13 lakh was given to the laborers as wages. The Assam government has defined ‘unorganized workers’ under the ‘Unorganized Workers’ Social Security Act, 2008.’ Therefore, there is a practice of the registration for such workers.
There are 25000 construction workers registered in the State. According to Ranjit Das, president of the All Assam Construction Labour Union, there are about three lakh construction labourers in Assam. Assam does not have a large industrial area. However, there are some industrial clusters in Kamrup and Tinsukia districts, which have been closed since last year. The tourist season in Assam starts in October and continues till May. The tourism industry in Assam was completely affected by the corona period.
In December 2019, violence related to the Citizenship Amendment Act caused a huge loss to tourism. According to an estimate, there was a loss of Rs 300 crore in the tourism sector in Assam last year and about five lakh people associated with the tourism sector lost their jobs. Although tourists started arriving in the State in October 2020, the flow of tourists was low due to the epidemic. Now with the second wave, the Assam government has already closed all national parks including Kaziranga. Since last year most of the schools, colleges and universities in Assam are closed. Most of them went for online classes to save their livelihood.
If we talk about the people who were dependent on railways for their livelihood, the Indian Railways does not have any official data. However, Guwahati railway station alone has about 12,000 registered coolies and vendors. Ninety per cent of them are unemployed now. The movement of trains was completely halted last year. Limited train movement has started this year but there has been a huge reduction in the number of passengers, which has affected the lives of porters and vendors.
BIHAR
According to the Bihar government’s Rural Development Department, there are about 11 lakh people being covered under the MGNREGA scheme. Even after the lockdown, the construction-related work has not been stopped. However, people belonging to unorganized sectors are badly affected due to the lockdown. There are 16 lakh registered people working in the unorganized sector, who are feared to be unemployed. More than 20 lakh people are associated with around one lakh micro, small and big industries of the State. The production in these industries has come down by 50 per cent.
The tourism sector is closed in the State, due to which the people associated with the tourism sector have been badly affected. According to an estimate, about one million people are associated with the tourism sector in the State and their situation is not well, as their source of livelihoods has been badly hit. All schools, colleges and universities in the State are also closed. The employees of these entities are now engaged in non-academic works. There are about 1700 registered employees under the East Central Railway in the State and about 5000 non-registered people. Their family members have been badly affected due to lockdown.
CHHATTISGARH
There are a total of 68, 68,588 active MGNREGA workers in Chhattisgarh. Due to the second wave of the coronavirus in the rural areas, the works which were undertaken under the MGNREGA have been affected in many districts. There are 14, 33,687 workers registered in the unorganized sector in the State. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, these labourers have been severely affected. At present, there is no concrete data available regarding the industrial sector. This time medium and large industries were given permission to operate following the guidelines. It is, therefore, believed that workers of this sector have not been affected much. However, the tourism sector has been severely hit due to the lockdown. The people associated with this sector are facing great financial loss.
Schools and colleges are closed in the State. This year, the admission process has not been done in most of the schools. The college examinations will also be held online. At the same time, the limited operation of the Railways has had a direct impact on the vendors and porters. Its big impact is being seen on the business outside the big stations. Apart from this, the livelihood of rickshaw pullers and auto drivers has also been affected.
GUJARAT
A total of 44.62 lakh workers have been registered under the MGNREGA in Gujarat. At present, job cards have been issued to 27.12 lakh workers. The condition of about one crore people, who were dependent on job opportunities in the unorganized sector, is bad. People have been adversely hit due to the partial lockdown. Markets, shopping malls, movie halls and food outlets are closed.
The situation in the industrial sector is also not very good. All industries are operating with only 50 per cent of their workforce capacity. This time is one of the crises for the tourism sector. All the tourist places of the State are closed. In just one month, there has been a loss of Rs 2-3 crore. Tour operators and the people associated with the tourism sector have been highly affected. All educational institutions in the State are completely closed. Although online classes were being held before the summer vacation, now teachers and non-teaching staff of the schools have been put on Covid-19 duty. Most trains under the Western Railway zone have been cancelled. Thus, the livelihood of thousands of people like porters, vendors, auto drivers, cab operators and food stall owners has been affected to the hilt.
JHARKHAND
In Jharkhand, employment generation under the MGNREGA has also been badly affected. So far 65.28 lakh people have been given job cards in the State. Currently, there are 40.9 lakh active workers registered under MGNREGA in the State. According to the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), the unemployment rate in the month of January this year was 11.35 per cent, which has reached 16.5 per cent in May. The State government has kept areas like industries, mining and agriculture out of the ambit of the lockdown. All activities are allowed in these areas, although there is a shortage of workers in the wake of the havoc wreaked by the second wave of Covid-19. Due to raging Covid, the tourism industry of the State has also been affected like anything.
There are about 25000 big and small tourist places in the State, which are currently closed. Thousands of people associated with this sector have become unemployed. Apart from tourism, schools and colleges in the State are also closed. The government schools and colleges staff have no difficulty in getting their salaries but the salary of private teachers has been cut by 30 per cent and that too is not being given on time.
In the second wave of the coronavirus, a large number of people working at various railway stations of the State including Ranchi have been affected due to the decreasing number of trains amid the lockdown. Nearly 1500 porters who work at Ranchi and Hatia stations are unemployed. Similarly, the condition of shopkeepers and auto operators inside and outside the station is also distressing. The government does not have the data of the people associated with this sector. So, no one is aware of the actual number of people who have been hit by the second wave of Covid-19.
KARNATAKA
The works under MGNREGA are going on in rural areas of Karnataka. Many road construction activities and farming-related activities have been exempted from the lockdown restrictions. As many as six lakh people are working every day. Educated people are also working under the MGNREGA as they do not have other sources of employment. Karnataka has imposed a partial lockdown. However, essential services have been allowed from 6 am to 10 am. Taxi drivers, street hawkers and other shops and establishments have been badly affected due to the lockdown. Unemployment has increased by 2 per cent in the State. It is feared that the unemployment rate may cross 20 per cent due to the lockdown.
During the first lockdown, CMIE gave unemployment figures of 29.8 per cent. Now about 8 lakh people have come back to their hometown again. All the industries are closed except essential industries in the State. Some industries are working to supply oxygen. The payment of salaries is not regular. The pandemic has greatly influenced the tourism industry as well. Experts say that there has been a decline of more than 50 per cent in the travel and tourism sector and 20 lakh people have been affected. About 10 lakh to 15 lakh people have become unemployed. There are 4,75,000 total teaching and non-teaching employees working in both the government and private institutions in the State. It has 2,75,000 government employees, and all education-related activities are being done through the Internet. There are about 10,000 employees working under the South-Western Railway zone. According to the guidelines, only 50 per cent of the employees are working in each shift. Though trains have not been stopped in the State, the livelihood of all those who are dependent on railways has been affected.
KERALA
The number of registered workers under MGNREGA in Kerala is 60,67,965. Only 2,87,263 workers are active, which means that only these people are ready to do the jobs under the scheme. During the year 2020-21, 1,79,432 people got employment and a total of 11,71,084 man-days were created. The State government has kept the MGNREGA workers free from lockdown restrictions but there is no demand for work due to the lockdown. The total number of persons registered in the various welfare boards of the unorganized sector of the State is 79,03,233. Apart from this, about one crore people are not registered. Of this, 90 per cent have lost their jobs.
Only those industrial units are running in the State, which is producing materials being used in the war against corona. If we talk about tourism, 45000 people are directly and one lakh people indirectly are dependent on the tourism sector for their livelihoods. All of them are now facing a crisis for the second time due to the lockdown. Official data on the status of educational institutions is not available. Even accurate information has not been available regarding employment related to railways. The total number of migrant workers in Kerala is said to be six lakh. Most of them are engaged in construction works. The State government has allowed construction works to continue despite the lockdown. The government has asked the concerned authorities to ensure timely food and medical care for migrant labourers.
MADHYA PRADESH
In Madhya Pradesh, the works under MGNREGA are going on in rural areas. However, in villages where the infection level is high, the work is not being done under the MGNREGA. There are 87.25 lakh job cards in 51 districts of the State. The number of active job cards is 62.81 lakh. The central government has released Rs 3,27,972 lakh for MGNREGA. In the last 15 days, wages of Rs 433.27 lakh have been paid. 21.65 days of average employment has been provided to the people. Rs 186.18 as daily wages are given under MGNREGA in Madhya Pradesh.
Due to the lockdown, 90 per cent of the people do not have work and wages. The total working population of the State is 4.15 crore, out of which more than 90 per cent of people are in the unorganized sector. There are 2.21 crore agricultural labourers, 20.59 lakh family workers and 1.78 lakh other workers. Apart from this, the number of tenants in the State is 98.44 lakh. Large industrial sectors are also in a crisis in the State. More than half of the workers have lost their jobs and returned to their villages. The industrial sector has also been badly affected due to the non-supply of raw materials in the lockdown. In the midst of the disaster in April, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan launched 1891 MSME industries. Through this, jobs will be provided to more than 50 thousand people. Of this, 572 units have been set up by March 2021 and 296 will be installed in the next three months and one thousand 23 units in six months. In 2019, more than 8.6 crore tourists visited the state. But tourism has suffered badly in the last two years. With this, the employment of more than 5 lakh people associated with this sector was lost. Like other States, all schools and colleges are closed in Madhya Pradesh as well. Private teachers are not getting salaries due to holidays in schools. Madhya Pradesh is divided into six zones of railways. People associated with railways are getting employment at present but the shortage of passengers, gainful engagements have drastically reduced.
MAHARASHTRA
As of May 2021, 102.3 lakh job cards have been issued in Maharashtra under the MGNREGA scheme. The total number of workers in the State has been pegged at 236.94 lakhs. There are 29.5 lakh active job cardholders in the State and the total number of active workers is 55.9 lakh. The State government has kept industrial areas, production units and agriculture out of the ambit of lockdown. There is no data available about the shortage of manpower, but due to the large-scale migration of migrant labourers, there is a shortage of workers.
All tourist destinations are closed due to the second wave of corona in the State. Private employees associated with the tourism sector have become unemployed. If we talk about the world of education, schools and colleges are completely closed in the State. The government teachers have no difficulty in getting their salaries, but in private institutions, salaries up to 50 per cent are being deducted. Due to the dwindling number of trains and restrictions in the wake of the second wave of the corona, people working at various railway stations of the State including Mumbai have also been affected. The condition of porters, small shopkeepers, and autorickshaw and taxi drivers is very bad. The data of these people are not available with the government.
ODISHA
In Odisha, the MGNREGA has made a significant impact on the livelihood security of people through sustainable assets and increasing the income of vulnerable families by creating employment opportunities for them. During the financial year 2020-21, 37.01 lakh families got employment and 20 crore man-days were created. However, due to the outbreak of the epidemic, workers are facing problems and days of work have decreased by 30-40 per cent.
The Centre for Monitoring India Economy estimates that the unemployment rate in the unorganized sector in May will be about 1.9 per cent as compared to the national average of 8.2 per cent. It is also estimated that about 8 lakh people will lose their jobs in the coming days. Unemployment in urban areas is higher than in rural areas. According to information received from the Industrial Promotion and Investment Corporation of Odisha, large industries are still running smoothly. But according to industry insiders, due to the guidelines of Covid-19, around 50 per cent of people had to be deployed in shifts, resulting in a 40 per cent drop in production. There are 213 big industries operating in Odisha, and 1,09,891 people work in these industries. According to sources, there was no salary increment for the last two years. There is no official information about the effect of corona on the tourism sector in the State. There are 2.8 lakh teachers, lecturers and professors in 43,000 schools, colleges and universities of Odisha. Currently, government colleges and schools are running with 50 per cent teaching staff capacity due to summer vacation. With the delay in payment of salaries of teachers of private schools and colleges, a deduction of up to 30 per cent is being done. Indian Railways has suffered a lot due to the epidemic. The East Coast Railway covers the major parts of Odisha. There are 300 railway stations under it, on which more than 35,000 people are dependent for their livelihood. More than 10,000 people including potters, vendors and more than 25,000 people were engaged in other works related to railway construction but they have also lost their livelihood due to the second wave of the coronavirus.
PUNJAB
In all, three lakh MGNREGA workers work in Punjab. The continuous work is going on even during the lockdown. As many as 2.86 lakh construction workers are registered in Punjab, out of which 50 per cent are working. In the name of relief, it was announced to give Rs 6000 to every worker, for which the government has kept a budget of Rs 171.60 crore. If we talk about the industrial sector, a total of 2.59 lakh units are registered in Punjab, out of which the work is going on in 87 per cent of units. There are 10 lakh migrant labourers in the State, out of which around 5 lakh people have been affected. About 17 per cent of the 17,000 restaurants, bars and hotels operating in the State have been hit hard. The unemployment figure here was 5.3 per cent till April. Unemployment is expected to increase due to the second wave of Covid-19. Like all over the country, online classes continue in State-run schools. According to the Democratic Teachers Front Union, in schools where there are more than 10 employees, work is being done on the basis of 50 per cent staff rotation. About 80 per cent of the primary and middle schools have a full staff and 20 per cent are working on a rotation basis. In this way, most of the teachers are doing work from home and non-teaching staff is called as per the need. There are 285 railway stations in Punjab, where around 19,000 vendors work. Some vendors are also taken on contract for six months.
RAJASTHAN
The works under MNREGA in Rajasthan have been stopped. The decision to postpone the works being carried out under MGNREGA was taken at a meeting of the Cabinet recently. The decision was necessitated due to a raging corona infection. The condition of workers in the unorganized sector is pathetic. Due to lockdown, the means of earning of more than one crore people were closed. However, the work is going on in industrial areas. The state government has continued production to prevent workers’ migration. Tourism has a major contribution to the economy of Rajasthan and most of the businesses are directly or indirectly related to tourism. Due to the closure of tourism, a large section of people are in the grip of unemployment. According to the order of the Rajasthan government, till June 30, all schools, colleges and universities are closed. The figures of people dependent on railways are not available with the government. According to the Jaipur Employees Union, nearly 150,000 people directly associated with hotels, street vendors, porters and local transporters have been directly affected due to the second wave of Covid-19.
TAMIL NADU
A total of 90.8 lakh job cards under the MGNREGA have been issued in 36 districts of Tamil Nadu. It has 72.35 lakh active job cards. 130.58 lakh workers are registered under the MGNREGA and 88.26 lakh workers are actively working under the Central government’s mega rural employment scheme. The workers working in the unorganized sector in the State are covered under the Universal PDS. They will continue to get ration even during the lockdown period. Despite the state government-run and aided colleges and schools being closed, the employees are being given salary continuously. However, only up to 50 per cent of the salary is being paid to teachers and staff working in private educational institutions.
WEST BENGAL
During the financial year 2020-21, 118 lakh people were given works under the MGNREGA in West Bengal. With this, West Bengal stood first in the whole country. West Bengal stood third after Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh in terms of spending of allocated funds. A total of Rs 10,403.13 crore was used under the MGNREGA here. There is no concrete data available with the State’s Labour Department about the status of employment in the unorganized sector in the State.
According to the data released by the Centre recently, the MSME sector of the State employed 135.52 lakh people in 88.67 lakh units in the last financial year of 2019-20, despite facing a corona epidemic and cyclone. Statistics on the status of industrial areas are not currently available. At the same time, according to the records of various tourism associations of the State, about 90 per cent of the bookings were cancelled from the middle of March this year. There is no concrete data on the job loss due to the epidemic, but people associated with the region say that if the epidemic is not brought under control soon, the tourism sector will see a fresh wave of retrenchment. The status of teachers and employees of government and state-aided educational institutions in West Bengal is normal. There has been no major news of layoffs even in private educational institutions. If we talk about the people associated with the railways, the figures are not available with the Labor Department or the trade union.
