Govt suspends key nationwide surveys amid raging 2nd wave

NEW DELHI: The Union government has suspended work on four key surveys on migrants, domestic workers, and jobs created by the transport sector and professionals because of the deadly second wave of the pandemic, possibly delaying a national employment policy based on these surveys.

With lockdowns and curfews being imposed across the country, surveyors on the field will find it difficult to visit families, offices and worksites, two government officials said, adding that the management of the pandemic has become a top priority now, and the surveys will restart once the situation improves.

The nationwide surveys, designed and executed by the labour bureau in consultation with an expert committee, may also be reworked as the explosive surge in infections this year has changed the ground realities since the surveys were conceived.

The delay may, however, have an adverse impact on the proposed national employment policy that the government was mulling. The four labour codes already passed by Parliament, and the national jobs and social economic survey results were expected to be the base of such a policy.

“We have put the four surveys on hold as the surging covid-19 makes it almost impossible to do the household surveys,” said DPS Negi, director-general of labour bureau. “We are talking to our expert committee on how to incorporate the new realities in these surveys. It’s a difficult situation, and sending our field workers to houses and offices will have a huge implication on their health and well-being. Second, no one will entertain surveyors at their homes during a second wave,” said Negi, who is also the chief labour commissioner (central).

According to the Union labour ministry, the migrants’ survey will be the first such study of “the socioeconomic and working conditions of migrant workers” and shall “also assess the impact of Covid-19 on migrant workers”. The survey of domestic workers expects to capture the socio-economic condition, the job preference and impact of the pandemic on their economic status.

While the transport sector survey was supposed to capture the jobs created by the industry, including by taxi aggregators, the one on professionals was supposed to capture the employment generation and potential of tens of thousands of professionals, including advocates, doctors and chartered accountants.

The surveys were supposed to be released by November. On March 31, labour minister Santosh Gangwar said the surveys will “generate highly useful data for effective policymaking in the field of labour and employment”.

The study of the labour market, including gig workers, will help the government formulate a comprehensive employment policy for both formal and informal segments and design social security and welfare measures. Besides, there has been a growing demand for a national policy on employment to formalize the large informal sector, implement social security for unorganised workers, and formulate welfare schemes for low-income households.