Meeting Overview and Participants
A key regional meeting involving the central states of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and the Union Territory of Delhi will take place on September 30, 2024, in Lucknow. Organized by the Ministry of Labour and Employment, the meeting will focus on critical issues such as labour reforms, the eShram-National Database of Unorganised Workers (NDUW), welfare for Building and Other Construction Workers (BoCW), initiatives under the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC), and employment generation strategies.
The session will be led by Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Sushri Shobha Karandlaje, alongside Ms. Sumita Dawra, Secretary of the Ministry, and other senior officials from both central and state governments.
Nationwide Series of Consultations
This Lucknow meeting is part of a broader nationwide consultation series initiated by the Ministry of Labour and Employment. The series began with a session in Bengaluru, where southern states and Union Territories like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Kerala, Puducherry, and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands participated.
Following that, northern states and UTs including Punjab, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh, and Rajasthan gathered in Chandigarh. The third meeting was held for western states and UTs in Rajkot, Gujarat, while the fourth session focused on eastern states such as Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Andhra Pradesh in Bhubaneswar. These consultations will continue until October 4, 2024.
Key Agenda for the Lucknow Meeting
The Lucknow meeting will focus on several important topics:
-
Harmonizing state and central regulations under the Labour Codes
-
Developing better methods for employment data collection
-
Reviewing the Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) Scheme introduced in the 2024-25 Union Budget
-
Enhancing the e-Shram portal to serve as a comprehensive platform for unorganised workers
-
Improving access to social security schemes
-
Expanding coverage of central welfare programs for Building and Other Construction Workers (BoCW)
-
Upgrading employment exchanges for improved service delivery
-
Addressing ongoing challenges in labour reforms
Importance of the Meeting
This regional meeting aims to improve coordination between central and state governments in advancing labour welfare policies. It seeks to enhance the accuracy of labour data and promote employment generation through new and improved policy initiatives.