PATNA: The Indian Railways, working on a mission mode, has claimed to have generated over 5.5 lakh man-days under the Gareeb Kalyan Rozgar mission in six states. Of these, Bihar alone has 1,35,425 man-days, and the rest are distributed among Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
The man-days were created for the migrant workers, who have returned to their respective villages amid lockdown in these states that are covered under the Gareeb Kalyan Rozgar Abhiyan.
According to chief spokesperson of ECR, Rajesh Kumar, all migrant workers in 32 districts have been engaged in works related to new lines, doubling, gauge conversions, electrification and development of railway infrastructure.
“The ECR has appointed one co-ordinator for these districts for successful implementation of the scheme and migrant workers have been engaged in a total of 37 railway projects”, Kumar said. He further added that a huge sum of Rs. 262.82 crore was paid in wages, after generating 1,35,425 mandays for migration workers from 20 June to 07 August.
Kumar said that the doubling projects engaging the migrant workers being completed are the Samastipur-Darbhanga, Kataria-Kursela, Sugauli-Balmikinagar, Muzaffarpur-Sugauli, Ramna-Singrauli and the Karela Road-Shaktinagar.
Similarly, the migrants have been engaged in nine new line projects including the Khagaria - Kusheshwar Sthan, the Kosi Bridge, the Hajipur-Sugauli, Sakri- Hasanpur, Chhapra-Muzaffarpur, Araria-Supaul, Biharsharif- Barabigha, Islampur-Natesar, Koderma-Tilaiya and Sakri- Lokahabazar- Nirmali and Saharsa. -Forebisganj and Jayanagar-Darbhanga-Sitamarhi-Narkatiaganj-Bhikhnathodhi.
Meanwhile, an official statement of IR, on Sunday claimed that the payment of Rs 1336.84 crores were released to the contractors for the projects implemented ‘Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyan’ in 116 districts in 6 states.
“Around 165 Railway infrastructure projects are being executed in these states worth Rs.2988 Crores”, said the release.
Railway minister Piyush Goyal is closely monitoring the progress made in these projects and generation of work opportunities for the migrant labours of these states under this scheme.
“Till 14th August, 11296 workers have been engaged in this Abhiyan and the payment of Rs 1336.84 Crores has been released to the contractors for the projects being implemented. The migrant-works are getting employment in the construction and maintenance of approach roads for level crossings, the development and cleaning of silted waterways, trenches and drains along the track, construction and maintenance of approach road to railway stations, repair and widening of existing railway embankments and cuttings, plantation of trees at extreme boundary of railway land and the protection works of existing embankments. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had this Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan to empower and provide livelihood opportunities in areas and villages, wherein a large number of migrant workers had returned amid the COVID-19 on June 20. Modi had announced that an amount of Rs 50,000 crores to be spent for building durable rural infrastructure under the Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan’s 125 days."