PM Modi launches Garib Kalyan Rozgar Abhiyaan to generate jobs for migrants

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the “Garib Kalyan Rozgar Abhiyaan” on Saturday (June 20) to help generate more employment opportunities in rural India and help find jobs for the lakhs of migrant labourers who are returning home from various states due to the COVID-induced lockdown.

The Prime Minister disclosed details of the programme from poll-bound Bihar’s Khagaria district in a video conference in the presence of chief ministers of five states — Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand — and a minister of Odisha.

He said it had been “inspired by (the) migrant workers” whose “heart-breaking attempts” to travel home during the lockdown made headlines and led to criticism of the government.

“Migrants will be provided jobs near their homes. So far, you were using your talent for the progress of the cities. Now you will help in the development of your villages, your neighbourhoods,” NDTV quoted the Prime Minister as saying.

“The way villages have fought coronavirus has taught a big lesson to the cities,” he added.

“Today, this scheme is being launched from Bihar’s Khagaria. We aim to help people get livelihoods near their homes,” Modi said.

“This scheme has been inspired by migrant workers,” he added.

Underlining that migrant workers were always in Centre’s thoughts during the lockdown, the prime minister said it is an endeavour of his government that workers get jobs near their home and help in development of villages.

Talking about infrastructure development of villages with the help of this scheme, Modi said that for the first time, Internet was being used more in villages than in cities and now work to increase the speed of Internet was being undertaken.

In the beginning of his speech, Modi paid homage to soldiers of Bihar regiment who lost their lives in a violent clash at LAC in eastern Ladakh.

The Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan programme comprises the development and establishment of infrastructure through public works worth at least ₹50,000 crore. The scheme will work in a mission mode in 116 districts across six states — Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, and Odisha — where the maximum number of the migrant workers have returned.