NEW DELHI: Not a single migrant worker has completed skill training under the ‘Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyan’, a government’s employment-cum-rural public works initiative to tackle the impact of Covid-19 on labourers in India, according to a Parliamentary Standing Committee report.
Announced the scheme in June last year, the government had targeted to cover nearly three lakh labourers. However, nearly 86,000 workers could be enrolled till February this year.
“Training of reverse migrant is undergoing and no candidate has completed the training so far. Consequently, no placement has been reported to date. Placement opportunities to candidates will be provided after successful certification,” the report states.
The 125-day campaign involving the implementation of 25 different types of works to provide employment to the migrant workers and create infrastructure in the rural regions was primarily focused on six states where the maximum migrant workers have returned.
A total of 116 districts in Bihar, UP, MP, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Odisha were chosen for the campaign.
Three more districts Chandauli in UP, Nalbari and Dibrugarh in Assam were also included. Accordingly, a target of three lakh candidates 1.5 lakh each for short term training (STT) and recognition of prior learning (RPL) for the training was allocated.
However, as of February 19, 2021, 67,121 candidates had been enrolled under the STT component, while for RPL, 18,161 candidates have been enrolled.
While STT is generally 300-500 hours of training depending on the job role, RPL varies from 12 hours to 80 hours of training.
Besides, the government has also allowed states to reduce the short courses and shift them to recognition programmes.
As many as 115 training partners have been selected to train the reverse migrants. The panel desires that a vigil is kept on the selected partners to ensure that they function as per the terms and conditions, said the report.