Only 37.5 per cent of workers in the unorganised sector in Karnataka have their names registered on the e-Shram national database. Registrations opened in August 2021.
Workers who register for the e-Shram database get ID cards with a 12-digit Universal Account Number uniquely assigned to each unorganized worker.
The government says the e-Shram database will come in handy to roll out more benefits in the future. Workers on the database now get enrolled to the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana, accidental insurance scheme of Government of India. It provides benefit of Rs 2 lakh at the time of accidental death and permanent disability & Rs 1 lakh in case of partial disability. The premium for the first year will be borne by the Ministry of Labour & Employment.
Karnataka has 1.89 crore people who qualify, according to the Union government’s ministry of labour and employment. Only 70.95 lakh have now signed up.
The turnout is particularly poor in Bengaluru Urban, with only 3.07 lakh getting registered on the database.
“At present, the card does not provide any major benefits except for insurance coverage. When we approach workers, they say the card is useless,” a senior labour official said.
NGOs working closely with labourers cite other problems. “The process mandates that a beneficiary should have an Aadhaar card linked to a mobile number. But most workers are poor and barely educated. They either have no Aadhaar card or their mobile number is not linked,” a volunteer said.
Even those who hold the required documents are required to visit the common service centres set up across the city.
“We were told the card would benefit us and we visited the local BBMP office, but they had no information. Eventually, an NGO helped us get our cards,” said Ratna, a street vendor in Malleswaram.
Labour officials acknowledge the problem. “We have to work closely with the municipal authorities. We are also working with the NGOs to get more people to register,” an official said.
The department has received Rs 1 crore to create awareness.