Cong questions Centre over exclusion of Assam from migrant worker’s rehabilitation scheme

The Assam Congress on June 19^th, 2020 questioned the Centre over the exclusion of the state from the 'Gareeb Kalyan Rozgar Yojana' to rehabilitate migrant workers, who have returned home due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

“Why has Assam not been included among these states? Prime Minister Narendra Modi frequently drapes the Assamese 'gamosa' on his shoulders and speaks a little bit in Assamese to strike an emotional rapport with the people of Assam. Why has Modi now forgotten to include Assamese migrant workers in the new scheme?” questioned Debabrata Saikia, the leader of the Opposition in the Assam Legislative Assembly

Saying that the Chief Minister has publicly admitted that it would be a challenge to rehabilitate these workers, he added, “It is not only unfortunate but a matter of shame for the Chief Minister and the Government of Assam that the state has been unable to derive any benefit from scheme devised for distressed migrant workers.”

Moreover, Saikia added that the partisan attitude displayed by the Prime Minister towards Assam and its people has exposed the Government's real character. “I protest in the strongest terms against the Central Government's decision to implement this scheme only in the Hindi-speaking belt,” he said.

Saikia further urged the Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal to discuss the matter with the Central Government and ensure that the migrant workers of Assam are also benefitted under the Gareeb Kalyan Rozgar Yojana.

Also read: Debabrata Saikia refers to Rajen Gohain’s concerns as ‘crocodile tears’

Modi to launch ‘Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan’ on June 20

The government of India has decided to launch a massive rural public works scheme ‘Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan’ to empower and provide livelihood opportunities to the returnee migrant workers and rural citizens. PM Modi will launch this Abhiyaan on 20th June 2020 at 11 am through Video-Conference in presence of the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar. The Abhiyaan will be launched from Village – Telihar, Block- Beldaur of Khagaria District of Bihar. Further, the Chief Ministers of the other five States and Union Ministers of concerned Ministries will also participate in the virtual launch. The villages across 116 districts in the six States will join this programme through the Common Service Centres and Krishi Vigyan Kendras, maintaining the norms of social distancing in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

This campaign of 125 days, which will work in mission mode, will involve intensified and focused implementation of 25 different types of works to provide employment to the migrant workers on one hand and create infrastructure in the rural regions of the country on the other hand, with  a resource envelope of Rs. 50,000 crore.

A total of 116 Districts with more than 25,000 returnee migrant workers across six States, namely Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Odisha have been chosen for the campaign which includes 27 Aspirational Districts. These districts are estimated to cover about 2/3 of such migrant workers.

The Abhiyaan will be a coordinated effort between 12 different Ministries/Departments, namely, Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Road Transport & Highways, Mines, Drinking Water & Sanitation, Environment, Railways, Petroleum & Natural Gas, New & Renewable Energy, Border Roads, Telecom and Agriculture.

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