Bengaluru: Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan, an employment scheme worth Rs 50000 crore. 

The scheme hopes to generate millions of jobs to migrants who returned to their respective hometowns owing to the coronavirus pandemic. 

Also Read: IAF chief assures nation it is ready to face any eventuality

Launched through videoconferencing, it was attended by Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and CMs of other states to whose people the Abhiyaan applies to. 

“So far, migrants were helping to build the cities. Now, they will get jobs near their homes. Till now, you were assisting in the development of cities. From now onwards, you will help in the development of your villages, your neighborhoods,” PM Modi said.

 

“The Government of India has decided to launch a massive rural public works scheme ‘Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan’ to empower and provide employment opportunities to the migrant workers who have returned during the lockdown and other rural citizens,” the PMO had said ahead of the launch. 

Also Read: BSF shoots down drone

Characteristics of the scheme: 

The scheme will be operated in 116 districts of 6 states–Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Odisha. All the districts in these states have received an influx of more than 25,000 migrants during the lockdown.

The scheme aims to empower unemployed migrant workers by providing them with employment for 125 days with a resource envelope of Rs 50,000 crore.

Under this programme, the focus of the government will be to complete 25 different types of works to create jobs and build infrastructure in rural regions of the country, as reported by a popular website. 

“Skill mapping has already been started to help migrants. This means, that your skills will be identified while you are staying in your villages and job providers will seek you based on your skills,” PM Modi further added. 

According to Rural development secretary, NN Sinha, the laying of fibre optics cable, railway works, rurban mission jobs, sanitation works, waste management, poultry, farm ponds and imparting skills through Krishi Vigyan Kendras will be provided to the migrant workers under the scheme, added the website.