BENGALURU: The State Government has decided to conduct a survey of those who returned to their villages from cities at the height of Covid-19 pandemic to allow them to get social security through various government schemes.The Department of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) has been tasked with the job of collecting details of these migrants.
The survey was expected to be launched over a month ago but had to be stalled as the model code of conduct for the Gram Panchayat elections kicked in. The Panchayat Raj department officials are now gearing up to launch the survey soon.
As per the data already available with the officials, around 3.5 lakh people returned to villages till May. “The numbers may have increased now. During the survey, their name, age, number of dependents, etc. will be collected. Also, details of the work they used to do in cities and whether they are employed in villages will be gathered.”
app to help in survey of migrants
“The survey will help us understand their health, economic and social status, allowing us to identify their needs, which can be addressed through various government schemes,” an official said.To help the surveyors, a mobile app -- ‘Karnataka Migrants Tracking & Social Protection Framework’ -- has been developed. “The staff of Gram Panchayats, who will be given the survey work, will feed the details into the mobile app.
This makes the work of collating data easy and allows to reach out to the needy soon,” the official said, adding that this is the first such initiative in the country.Commissioner for Panchayat Raj, Priyanka Mary Francis, told The New Indian Express that the survey will be started within 15 days. “The Gram Panchayat staff have been allotted the survey work. We expect it to get over soon,” he added.