Jharkhand government committed to safe and responsible migration of workers: Labour minister

Employment schemes, SRMI centres, database of workers among strategies for benefit of migrants 

Ranchi, May 2:  Under the directions of Chief Minister Hemant Soren, the government has been constantly trying to rescue stranded migrant workers in domestic as well as overseas countries in the last two years.

There are dozens of such instances when the government has come forward in respect of the workers. During the Covid first wave in 2020, Jharkhand was the first state to bring back its workers through flight, train and other transport. The government was concerned about the workers and workers of the state and this was the reason that as soon as the information about the migrant workers getting stuck in different states of the country due to the sudden lockdown, the government first arranged food and shelter for them and then they were brought to Ladakh, Andaman and Work was started to bring the trapped laborers and workers to different areas of the country including the Nicobar Islands. Thousands of workers returned to their homes.

During Covid scenario there  was a lack of employment opportunties. For the daily wage laborers, this period was like a horror. In view of this, an action plan was prepared at the government level. To a large extent, the government tried to reduce the tension regarding employment in rural areas. By creating crores of man-days in the rural areas, the government was successful in providing work to the workers.

Under MNREGA, in the financial year 2021-22 so far, job cards have been issued, connecting more than 2.8 lakh families.

 At the same time, in view of the lack of work in urban areas, the Urban Employment Guarantee Scheme was launched. With this scheme, a target has been set to benefit about 31 percent of the urban population who are living below the poverty line. Under the Jharkhand Unorganized Workers Social Security Scheme, five schemes have been implemented for the workers. In 2021-22, 6000 workers have been given the benefit of an amount equivalent to Rs 11 crore. The Chief Minister Employment Generation Scheme was simplified so that more and more people could adopt self-employment in their own state.

The government took steps for the welfare of the workers  The government is ensuring safe and accountable migration by looking at their migration. Because before was no concrete policy was formulated for the workers. During the Covid period, the number of laborers migrating from Jharkhand to other states was known due to the efforts of the government. All of them have been registered in the State Government’s Shramadhan and the Central Government’s e-Shram Portal, so that the government can reach out to them and help them in times of trouble.

Chief Minister Hemant Soren launched the Safe and Responsible Migration Initiative (SRMI) in December 2021. There is a large-scale migration of laborers from Jharkhand for employment, but till date no concrete policy was made for the safe and accountable migration of migrant workers. Keeping this in mind, SRMI has been started on the initiative of the Chief Minister. Centers were launched in Gumla and West Singhbhum for safe and responsible migration of migrant workers and workers under the Safe and Responsible Migration Initiative. This center will work under the aegis of the District Labor and Employment Office as a district level support cell and under the supervision of the District Labor and Employment Officer.

“Through SRMI we will work towards identifying inter-state migrants and their families within Gumla and West Singhbhum, so that social security of such workers and workers can be ensured. This work will be done in coordination with the Deputy Commissioner and other officers. Along with this, the facility of registration of workers and workers will also be provided at the centre. It is also planned to organize camps for them from time to time. The center is also being launched in Dumka on the occasion of Labor Day,” said state labour minister Satyanand Bhokta.

“It is our endeavor that such a policy should be prepared for the workers who go out to work from the state so that they and their Families can take advantage of government policies in other states also. We are constantly trying how to make migration safe and responsible,” added Satyanand Bhokta.