PM unveils 'Vision 2047' at Labour Conference

Tirupati: Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised that India's labour force has a huge role to play in realising the dreams and aspirations of the country to build a developed nation in the Amrit Kaal. Keeping this in view, the country is working continuously for crores of workers from the organised and unorganised sector, he said.

The PM virtually addressed the two-day National Conference of Labour Ministers of all States and Union Territories that began in Tirupati on Thursday. It was presided over by Union Minister for Labour Bhupender Yadav in which the Minister of State for Labour Rameshwar Teli along with other ministers from States took part. AP was represented by Labour Minister G Jayaram and Agriculture Minister Kakani Govardhan Reddy.

Addressing the meeting, the Prime Minister revealed that the Labour Ministry is preparing its vision for the year 2047 in Amrit Kaal. Reiterating that the future needs flexible workplaces, a work-from-home ecosystem and flexible work hours, he said the systems like flexible workplaces can be used as opportunitiesopportunitiesfor women's labour force participation. By making the right use of women power, India can achieve its goals faster, he added.

Referring to the four labour codes, Modi said his government has taken the initiative to abolish the laws from the period of slavery that reflect the slavery mentality. "The country is now changing, reforming and simplifying such labour laws. With this in mind, 29 labour laws have been converted into four simple labour codes". This will ensure the empowerment of workers via minimum wages, job security, social security, and health security, he added.

He said that the e-Shram portal is one of the key initiatives to bring the labour force into the ambit of social security. In just one year, about 28 crore workers from 400 areas have been registered on the portal and it has specially benefited construction workers, migrant labourers and domestic workers.

He asked all the ministers to integrate state portals with the e-Shram portal.

Modi emphasised the need to take full advantage of the fourth industrial revolution by taking quick decisions and implementing them rapidly. Remarking on the demographic dividend of India, the PM said that India's success in the 21st century will depend on how well it is used. The country can take advantage of global opportunities by creating a high-quality skilled workforce.

He pointed out that out of the 'cess' arranged for the building and construction workers Rs.38000 crore has not been utilised by the States. Also, he urged everyone to pay attention to how ESIC together with the Ayshman Bharat scheme can benefit more workers. The Emergency Credit Guarantee Scheme, according to a study, saved 1.5 crore jobs during the pandemic. Today India has once again become the fastest growing economy in the world, so a lot of credit goes to our workers, he said.

Earlier, Bhupender Yadav inaugurated an exhibition at Hotel Taj which displays the latest technological advancements in the ministry. The first session of the conference has focused on the e-Shram portal. The two-day conference will continue on Friday also.