New employment scheme to help migrant workers, poor facing challenges due to COVID-19: Shah

Hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched 'Garib Kalyan Rozgar Abhiyaan', Union Minister Amit Shah said that the new employment scheme will ensure job opportunities to people near their homes based on their skills, which will also strengthen the rural economy.

New Delhi:Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said the employment scheme, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will help migrant workers and the poor facing challenges due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In a series of tweets in Hindi, Shah also said that the 'Garib Kalyan Rozgar Abhiyaan' will ensure job opportunities to people near their homes based on their skills.

"The #GaribKalyanRojgarAbhiyaan worth Rs 50,000 crore was launched today by the Modi government to help and empower the migrant labourers and the poor facing challenges due to the Corona pandemic. I thank PM @narendramodi ji for this visionary campaign," he said.

The home minister said the scheme will be implemented in villages of 116 districts in six states to provide employment and inclusive development opportunities in rural India and 25 such schemes, which are being run by the central government, will be added to it.

"Earlier people used to go to the city in search of employment but now through 'Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan', they will be provided employment near their homes based on their skills," he said.

Shah said people's talent will be used in the development of the rural sector, which will give more strength to the rural economy.

"The Modi government is fully committed to the development of our villages, the livelihood and self-respect of the migrant workers and the poor.

"Under the leadership of Prime Minister @NarendraModi ji, the 'Garib Kalyan Rozgar Abhiyaan' will play an important role in the country's move towards a 'self-reliant India'," he said.

Modi on Saturday launched an employment scheme with an outlay of Rs 50,000 crore for migrant workers who returned to their home states during the coronavirus-triggered lockdown.

Launching the scheme, Modi said during the nationwide lockdown, the talent from cities returned to villages and it will now give a boost to development of rural areas.

The 'Garib Kalyan Rozgar Abhiyaan' will be implemented on a mission mode in 125 days in 116 districts of six states -- Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Odisha -- that received the maximum numbers of migrant workers back.

It will help expedite implementation of 25 public infrastructure works and those related to augmentation of livelihood opportunities.

These 25 works are related to rural housing for the poor, plantations, provision of drinking water through the Jal Jeevan Mission, and construction of panchayat bhavans, community toilets, rural mandis, rural roads, cattle sheds and 'anganwadi bhavans', according to the Ministry of Rural Development, which is the nodal ministry for the project.

PTI