eShram portal faces criticism as workers await promised benefits

On August 21, 2021, amidst the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the government launched the eShram portal, aiming to establish a national database for unorganised workers. The initial pledge was enticing: registered gig workers would gain access to an array of social security benefits, including a Rs 2 lakh accident insurance.

However, CNBC-TV18's Rumi Chakraborty reports that two years post-launch, registered workers assert that none of the promised benefits have materialised.

In the past two years, over 28.96 crore unorganised workers have registered on the portal and obtained eShram cards. Approximately 47 percent of them are male, while nearly 53 percent are female. Those who hold eShram cards, complain about the lack of clarity regarding these welfare programs and how to avail the promised benefits.

Furthermore, many lament that the assurance of easier access to well-paying jobs has not materialised either. Tuntun Ram, a Delivery Partner at Swiggy, stated, "I've kept the card, but it remains unused. They had promised that it might help us secure jobs, but I haven't received anything."

Worker organisations have assisted their members in obtaining eShram cards. For instance, the Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers claims to have helped 2.5 lakh members secure eShram cards. However, in some cases where cardholders met with accidents, they were unable to claim the promised accident benefits.

Gig workers also find fault with the complexity of the registration forms. Although eShram permits registration in approximately 400 occupations across 30 job sectors, workers argue that this does not accommodate the fluid nature of gig work.

Meanwhile, the government insists it is actively working on integrating multiple welfare schemes with eShram cards. In response to CNBC-TV18's comprehensive questionnaire, the labour ministry provided a two-page response that lacked specific details.

The ministry stated, "Ministry of Labour & Employment has also started mapping of eShram database with other welfare schemes. The data mapping activity with Department of Food & Public Distribution (DFPD) and Ayushman Bharat - Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) has been completed. The data mapping has revealed that about 72 percent of eShram registrants are having ration cards and about 40 percent are covered in PMJAY. Further, data mapping with many other schemes is planned."

The labour ministry has allocated a budget of Rs 300 crore for the development of the eShram portal and aims to establish connectivity between states and the centralised database to enable cardholders to access state-specific social security schemes. Nevertheless, eShram cardholders argue that greater clarity and user-friendliness are imperative, or else this endeavour remains futile.