Centre ‘guarantees’ employment for returnees of 4 districts
BHUBANESWAR: Four districts of the State are covered under the Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan that was launched on Saturday by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to boost livelihood opportunities for returnee migrant workers affected by the health pandemic Covid-19.
The four districts of Balasore, Bhadrak, Bolangir and Ganjam are among the 116 districts identified by the Centre from six states having the highest influx of migrants. These districts have been selected as per the data provided by Odisha Government on the number of migrants returnees.
Under the Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyan, each worker will be provided employment for the ensuing 125 days. Funds will be provided to the four districts for rural road connectivity, construction of wells, plantation, railway activities, among others.
The Krishi Vigyan Kendras will help in imparting skill training to the workers, who would be paid according to the stipulated minimum wage in the respective schemes of the Government. Though the Centre has approved a labour budget (anticipated demand for unskilled manual work) of 14.5 crore persondays for the current financial year, sources in the Panchayatai Raj department said a revised labour budget will be submitted after registration of migrant workers. The State has recorded return of 5,67,968 migrant workers till June 19.
The State Government has issued job cards to 70.48 lakh people registered for works under MGNREGS. The total number of active job cards as on date is 39.61 lakh and about 66.65 lakh people have demanded jobs so far. Around 410 lakh persondays have been generated despite the prolonged lockdown which is 28 per cent of the labour budget. The average days of employment provided per household is 25.62 at an average wage rate of `211.64 per person per day as against the minimum wage of `298.