Bhubaneswar: Despite the rapid expansion of the state’s gig and platform workforce, registration on the e-Shram portal remains low, making a significant number of workers unable to access the social security benefits linked to the platform, labour and ESI minister Ganesh Ram Singkhuntia informed the assembly on Tuesday.Singkhuntia said that 17,450 gig and platform workers from the state have been registered on the ministry of labour and employment’s e-Shram portal. In a written reply to a query by MLA Prasanna Acharya in the assembly, Singkhuntia added that they are primarily engaged as food and grocery delivery boys and taxi drivers, among others. “Only 230 delivery boys have been included under the Odisha Unorganised Workers’ Social Security Board, as per official records of the labour department. As per Section-114 of the Code on Social Security, 2020, central govt will frame and notify suitable social security schemes for gig and platform workers,” he said.While the e-Shram portal registers unorganised workers, including gig and platform workers, and provides them a Universal Account Number (UAN) on a self-declaration basis for access to social security benefits, including medical and accident insurance, the Odisha Unorganised Workers’ Social Security Board has been functioning for unorganised workers since 2011 with a similar objective.Although the state govt is yet to initiate a drive to identify the number of gig workers in Odisha, data presented by former Union minister of state for labour and employment, Rameswar Teli, in the Lok Sabha in 2021 put their number at 52,123 (27,335 men, 24,781 women and seven transgenders).Labour rights activist Mahendra Parida said since then, the number of such workers has multiplied many times owing to the increasing number of online service delivery platforms.Parida, who is also a member of the Odisha Unorganised Workers’ Social Security Board, added that lack of awareness is the primary reason for low registrations in both the e-Shram portal and the Board. “The gig workers who are on the move for more than 12 hours in a day have no way to know about registration processes unless there are dedicated awareness drives on the issue for them,” he said. Besides, unlike other states, gig and platform workers in Odisha do not have an association or union. “Also, there has been no specific funds allocation for the Board by the state govt for some years now. So, even if they register, how are they going to benefit?” he asked.A labour department official said a special campaign was conducted last April for registration of gig and platform workers on the e-Shram portal and similar awareness drives are being conducted at regular intervals to increase the registration rate. “Because one of the ways the benefits of the Code on Social Security, 2020, will reach them is after they register in e-Shram,” he said, adding that the definition and provisions for this workforce were only provided in the Code on Social Security that came into force last Nov. “Hence, registration of more such workers in the Board will take time,” the officer added.
