'Aligning Labour Supply With Demand is the Key Focus'

Sumita Dawra, secretary, Union Ministry of Labour and Employment, speaks to Parth Singh about how the government will pursue the employment-related schemes announced in the Budget. Edited excerpts

- Parth Singh

How will the government ensure the employment-linked incentive (ELI) schemes work since they depend on private players?

When you look at the ELI schemes, the first is for first-timers, the second for first-timers in manufacturing and the third is to support employers. There are several stakeholders involved. Employees need to be aware of the scheme, employers must know how the scheme will be rolled out, and the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation [EPFO] will have a crucial role to play.

Therefore, we will need stakeholder consultations. A lot will depend on how the schemes are conceptualised. We have already started discussions with the Niti Aayog and the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). We have also instructed EPFO to ensure its regional offices conduct stakeholder consultations with employers.

The regional meetings are crucial as they will provide us with feedback from states, which play an important role in mobilising employers. This is particularly significant for the micro-, small- and medium-enterprises (MSME) sector. Our goal is to create a whole-of-government approach by reaching out to ministries, states, trade and labour unions, and EPFO regional offices which will engage with employers.