Money

Agricultural Labour : Contemporary Issues

 India is primarily an agrarian economy. About 30% of the total population of the country is engaged in agriculture and about 70% of the total work force of the country is employed in agrarian occupations. This itself explains the magnitude of the problem of the working classes in the agricultural sector.

No doubt, from the first five-year plan itself the work force of the agricultural sector, and in particular the agro-based industries; has been the focus for the development of the Indian economy. Successive years of Indian planning have seen evolving approaches and developing newer strategies for the upliftment of agricultural labour. With the resource base of the economy experiencing augmentation as a result of prudent implementation and studied and realistic policies, the agricultural labour has been provided with increased protection and welfare by the successive governments.

In the State of Maharashtra about 83 lakh workers are engaged in the agriculture sector. (Out of these 83 lakhs, about 39 lakh workers are male and about 45 lakh workers are female.) From this, it is observed that about 53% of the total work force are female workers who are contributing to the development of agricultural economy in the State of Maharashtra. Most of the workers in the agricultural sector belong to weaker sections like the scheduled tribe etc. The workers involved with the agricultural sector are generally not full time workers. They are seasonal workers. The work force of this sector is highly unorganized.

The livelihood of the agricultural workers is solely dependent on their wages. Moreover as stated above, most of the work force engaged in the agricultural sector consists of seasonal workers. Since they do not get continuous employment they already have a subsistence problem. But it also happens that due to vagaries of nature or other reasons at times they stay unemployed for long stretches of time. This makes their economic condition even worse and they are pushed below the poverty line. Their unorganized existence also makes them vulnerable to exploitative wage regime.

In 1974, the Government of Maharashtra fixed the minimum rates of wages for the agricultural workers, taking into consideration this factual position. The said minimum rates of wages are thereafter revised from time to time. At present the rates of minimum wages fixed for the agricultural labour are as under:

It will not be out of context to mention that the Government of India issued direction vide letter dated 31^st October 2007 that the wages of the workers of any industry should not be less than Rs. 80/- per day.

As mentioned above the agricultural workers are unorganized. For the workers of the unorganized sector the Government of Maharashtra vide Govt. Resolution dated 24-10-2005 extended the benefits of Janshree Bima Yojana. The said scheme is also made applicable to the agricultural labour. As per the said scheme the family members of the agricultural workers between the age of 18 years to 60 years are covered. The benefits of Janshree Bima Yojana are as under:

In the case of a natural death Rs. 20,000/- will be paid to the legal heir of the member who has subscribed to the Yojna.

In the case of death of the member due to an accident Rs. 50,000/- will be paid to the legal heir.

In the case of total disablement due to an accident
Rs. 50,000/- will be paid to the member.

In the case of an accident causing loss of both the eyes or hands Rs. 50,000/- will be paid to the member.

In the case of accident if one eye or one hand or one leg lost
Rs. 25,000/- will be paid to the member.

For the education of the children of the member for Std. IX to XII and for ITI courses Rs. 300/- quarterly will be paid if the student goes through every year. This scheme is made applicable maximum for two children.

All above benefits to the agricultural workers are given only on payment of meager amount of Rs. 50/- only as premium.

The agricultural workers are mostly living in rural areas. It will not be out of the way to mention here that the rate of literacy is not up to the mark among the agricultural labour. A lot of efforts have to be made jointly by the Government and NGOs for the upliftment of the poor agricultural workers particularly those who are working in tribal areas. Today also the agricultural workers residing in tribal areas are staying in hutments. Taking this fact into consideration it is clear that maximum efforts are yet to be made for providing houses to the workers in tribal areas in the agriculture sector. In tribal areas, awareness regarding health matters is not up to the mark. Hence these persons and particularly those working in the agricultural sector are in need of awareness about their health so that the hands that are responsible to feed crores of people will be strengthened for a strong India.

We are all aware of EGS in Maharashtra. The Employment Guarantee Scheme of Maharashtra has been a path breaking welfare measure by the government in all of economic history. The Government of Maharashtra committed substantial resources through legislation and implemented this scheme for the welfare of labour, particularly agricultural labour in rural areas.

Now the central government has adopted the scheme in the form of NREGS for implementation throughout the country in phases.

Prime Minister at the time of launching of the NREGA, had said, “This Employment Guarantee Act is the most significant legislation of our times in many ways. For the first time, rural communities have been given not just a development programme but a regime of rights. This Act will also unlock the potential of the rural poor to contribute to the reconstruction of their environment. The NREGA gives hope to those who had all but lost their hope. It has a clear focus on the poorest of the poor. It seeks to reach out to those in need of livelihood security The NREGA gives employment, gives income, gives a livelihood, and it gives a chance to live a life of self-respect and dignity.”

NREGA’s aim includes features such as people not only getting guarantee but also the ‘right to employment’. For the first phase, 200 of the poorest districts have been identified. There are 12 districts of Maharashtra which have been identified for the implementation of the act. This scheme is said to come in effect all over India in the next 5 years. Under this scheme, it has been recommended that the Daily Minimum Wages not be less than Rs.60/-. Also, each family is said to get work for 100 days in a year. If the worksite is more than 5 km. away extra wages are to be given. This scheme makes unemployment allowance available incase work is not provided. Compensation incase of accident or death of labourers on site is supposed to be given. Onsite facilities such as drinking water, first aid, shelter, crèches for children of women labourers are said to be provided under this scheme. Village development is a key focus. Long term assets are insisted along with appointment of Gram Rojgar Sevak and power to Gram Sabha.

The Zilla Parishad, Gram Panchayat and Gram Sabha are the agencies responsible for Planning.

NREGA provides funds and job work options in various categories such as drought proofing, water conservation, village development, afforestation etc. It also offers jobs of irrigating own small pieces of land to SC/ST individuals or families who are the beneficiaries of Indira Awas Yojana.

Unemployment Allowance is available not only for those to whom the Government cannot provide employment, but also for those who cannot be provided work in spite of a proper demand being made in both schemes. The unemployment allowance has been pegged at 1/4^th of the wage rate (Rs.15) for the first 30 days and then ½ of the wage rate (Rs.30) for the remaining 70 days.

Those agricultural workers who are landless or owning small pieces of land should also be provided self employment for their betterment such as poultry farming, sorting of tendu leaves dairy farming, raising bees etc. etc.

If we collectively and very seriously think of the betterment and upliftment of the agricultural workers and particularly of those female workers who make up 60% of the agriculture sector, I do not have any doubt that the graph of development of India will certainly go up. Let us join the hands for the development and upliftment of the labour community engaged in agriculture as our prime responsibility.