Universal social security must be ensured for all citizens without discrimination but unfortunately a vast majority of people in unorganised sector are still not covered under social security provisions. The National Commission on Enterprise in Unorganised Sector has calculated that 95 per cent of the work force is engaged in unorganised sector contributing almost 50 per cent to the national GDP but in return, they get nothing out of the national public fund.
Social security measures are required during accident and sickness, old age and in untimely death of a person for the dependent family members. The coverage of private insurance companies is limited to very few people having secured income whereas a vast majority of poor wage earners of unorganised sector have no such opportunities.
The Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Manndhan (PMSYM) for the unorganised workers was announced in the interim Budget of February 2019 with Rs 500 crore allocated for a monthly pension of Rs 3,000 after the age of 60 years for the unorganized sector workers. Earlier, the Government had launched the Atal Pension Yojana in 2015 for unorganised sector workers. There has been a number of such schemes being announced and advertised without any practical implication over the workers. However, these kinds of schemes without an universal approach may cater to the needs of a very insignificant number of workers but the basic purpose of social security remains a distance dream. Though there has been demand for implementation of Unorganised Sector Social Security Act, 2008 but neither the Centre nor the State Government is implementing the important law in the interest of the unorganised sector workers from social security point of view. The Government of Odisha has framed Odisha Unorganised Sector Social Security Rules, 2010 but has not yet identified the unorganised sector workers.
Government sources revealed that the State has a total of 1.62 crore unorganised workers which is about 92% of the State’s total workforce, out of which 68 lakh are agricultural workers and only 3,000 have been registered with the Odisha Unorganised Workers Social Security Board till March 2018. The Labour Minister also informed that total 22.35 lakh construction workers have been registered with Odisha Building and other Construction Workers Welfare Board and out of them only 11 lakh have been provided assistance up to Rs 767 crore.
The State initiative for construction workers through building and other construction workers welfare fund is most welcome step though it not enough. Similar initiative is highly required for forest and agricultural workers, farmers and fisher folk and other rural and urban poor. The social security is not just pension but must include the provision of universal health, education and public distribution system and employment opportunity for all with protection of poor from market forces. With a large presence of informal workers and marginalised social groups, Odisha has a very poor social security measure in comparison to other States in India.
Many of the social security schemes implemented in the State are mostly supported by the Centre and barring a few sectoral initiatives such as Madhubabu Pension Yojana and Construction Workers Welfare Scheme, the State has not developed any universal schemes out of own fund and also not fully utilized the Central schemes in the State. The Government of Odisha should go for integrated universal social security schemes because of large presence of poor and marginalized groups who are mostly engaged in informal sector such as agriculture, forestry, fishing and construction work.
It is experienced that universal social security measures by the State are required to build an inclusive democratic society. It ensures a sense of belongingness among its citizens who feel that the society takes care of its people of all ages, classes and groups. The unwell, weak, poor, children, elderly and unemployed are always in need of special care and protection because of their vulnerability.
Our social culture and State policy should take care of all its vulnerable sections by ensuring material comfort and emotional support to live a dignified life without depending on others’ mercy. But in spite of constitutional mandate, our State social security policy has not been universalized to ensure social security for all people irrespective of their nature of employment.
The concept of equality and universality is rooted in the Constitution of India. It has been told in the Directive Principles of State Policy about the social security measures to be taken by the State but still most of the social security laws are limited to the organised sector workers and a privileged few. The employees of organised sector in Government, private and semi-Government jobs have a better retirement life than those in the unorganised and informal sector. They do not have a privilege of pension with dearness allowances. The provision of old age pension for them is very minimal and irregular which cannot provide a dignified and decent living. They have to depend on private source or on other earning family members for survival. In the absence of such family support system many of them are pushed to begging and destitute condition. Though depending on sons and daughters has been a tradition in our society but in recent time due to economic and demographic change, composition of family and migration from rural to urban areas in search of employment, the elderly people are neglected and left isolated. The poor migrant workers are leaving their old and ailing parents at home while migrating outside. There has been an increase in old age homes, orphanages and shelter homes for the deserted and destitute in the State. It is reported that the condition of elderly people in rural area has become the worst in the absence of a proper social security mechanism.
The developed countries of the world with better social and human development standards such as Sweden, Denmark, New Zealand, the Nederland and Australia have a better social security system while the poor and developing countries such as India are still struggling to establish a developed universal social security system.
The International Social Security Association, Geneva’s report in 2012 on BRICS counties revealed that India has a very weak social security policy in comparison to Brazil, China, Russia and South Africa which have adopted international standards covering important areas such sickness, maternity, old age, family, invalidity, unemployment, employment injury and death. The Allianz Global investor’s Pension Sustainability Index 2014 says India has one of the world’s weakest pension systems. Brazil has a major social security programme. The Russian federation and China with a socialistic principle have universal social security, State pension system and universal compulsory nature of social insurance. South Africa has more inclusive social security policy that includes the excluded and marginalized groups. The Russian federation has a good mother and childcare policy and its funeral grant provision has been continuing for a long time.
