Most Indian workers live under appalling poverty

14 August 2007

The report � Report on Conditions of Work and Promotion of Livelihood in the Unorganised Sector � is the first comprehensive research on the informal sector in the country based on government data between 1993 - 2004. A majority of workers in this segment comprises of Dalits and Muslims, who face lack of proper regulation and ineffective implementation where regulation exists.

Flying in the face of the much-touted growth rates in the country, the report proves that India's high growth rates remain inequitable as around 836 million Indians live on a paltry Rs 20 per day for their daily sustenance.

The report has been submitted to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the NCEUS is inviting comments from people and experts on it. The advisory body had earlier released a report on the urban street vendors and also on social security for unorganized workers.

Defining the unorganized sector, the report says: "The unorganized sector consists of all unincorporated private enterprises owned by individuals or households engaged in the sale and production of goods and services operated on a proprietary or partnership basis and with less than ten total workers."

The reports reflects on the fact that the Indian economy may have grown in recent years but 86% of India's working population that works in an unorganized sector is without social security, works in poor conditions, hardly has social protection and security and earns relatively low wages and incomes.

NCEUS has stressed on the regulation of conditions of work including length of the working day, payment of overtime, holidays, safety conditions etc, provided with minimum wages, which will have a positive impact both on employment and on growth of economy and can be instrumental in reducing poverty.

The workers in the Indian labour mark are illiterate and belong to poor and socially-discriminated groups. The agriculture sector has been found to be in bad shape, specially for the small and the marginal farmers, as they are forced to spend more than they earn and their condition deteriorates when they are under debt.

The NCEUS was set up in 2004 by the present government so that it could initiative measures for the welfare of the unorganized workers and enhance the welfare and well-being of farmers, farm labour and workers and also assure a secure future for their families.

User comments

"Why most Indian workers live under appalling poverty"

Author: Kris Dev

Time: 15.08.2007 07:04

Comment: The report of National Commission for Enterprises in the Unorganized Sector leading to the conclusion, "Most Indian workers live under appalling poverty" gives a sad reading on the eve of the 60st independence day of India.

We have completed 60 glorious years of independence and we have made strides in many areas. But we are yet to get over the appalling poverty gripping India. The majority of Indians live in poverty. It is difficult to define poverty. But the inability to provide for the essentials for a decent and honourable living such as good health, hygiene, water, sanitation, food, clothing, shelter, employment and social security in times of need such as sickness, accident and old age can be termed as living in poverty.

It is a sorry state of affairs, while Governments are ready to provide colour television sets, to people living below poverty line, they are not prepared to guarnatee 2 square meals a day!!

The very lack of a unique citizen ID even after 60 years, is a sorry state of affairs. It speaks volumes of our hypocrisy which we hide under the garbe of democracy.

If we mean well for our country and the majority of the poor, we need to create a Unique Citizen ID Card using Biometric Registration and use it as a Multi Purpose Card for all Transactions.

Creating a record of all transactions irreversably would lead to transparency and accountability and take us out of appalling poverty. recent Biometric exercises done in remote villages of Andhra Pradesh and Bohar has proved this to be true.

For more details see http://ll2b.blogspot.com.