10. Experience of Social Security for Unorganized Workers in West Bengal

This paper has tried to investigate the following questions: (a) employment conditions of unorganized workers of West Bengal vis-a-vis India, and social security initiatives for unorganized workers adopted by the Government of West Bengal; and (b) extent of social security measures taken by the Government of India and the Government of West Bengal during the COVID-19 pandemic. Secondary data have been used to analyse these questions. This paper shows that the employment condition of the unorganized workers is worse in West Bengal than that of all India averages. The Government of West Bengal took several social protection measures for unorganized workers. However, the number of actual beneficiaries of these programmes is very insignificant compared to eligible beneficiaries. The Government of India announced several relief packages during the COVID-19 pandemic. But, a tiny portion of those packages has been spent for social security purposes. The Government of West Bengal also took some initiatives for returnee migrant workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, State action was not sufficient to keep migrant workers in their natives, and migrant workers have started to migrate again.