Bihar government readies plan to provide jobs to migrants

PATNA: A big proportion of the poor appears to be in a state of utter joblessness in the state due to the coronavirus-triggered lockdown that has resulted in total disruption of income-generating activities, observers feel.
The scenario has been further compounded by the sustained return of migrant workers, as they would add to the state’s existing unemployed workforce. Till Sunday, over 1.20 lakh migrant workers had returned to the state from different parts of the country. With the private sector at a standstill, the responsibility of creating work opportunities for these workers lies with the government.
Though the poor and the marginal households with ration cards have been getting foodgrain under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013 and the PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), the quantity is inadequate.
The only silver lining is that the state government has undertaken the mammoth task of creating work opportunities for migrant workers in different sectors like water resources, road construction, building construction, rural development, rural (road) works and minor irrigation. Besides, there are works under the government’s ambitious Jal Jeevan Hariyali (JJH) campaign and construction of lanes and laying of drinking water pipes in villages.
“At present, 9 lakh job card holders are engaged in various MGNREGA schemes in the state. A job card holder can join any work on his or her demand,” rural development department (RDD) minister Shrawan Kumar said.
Incidentally, of the around 2.6 crore households (or 13 crore projected population) in the state, 1.64 crore households had job card holders during 2019-20. Further, 99,000 new job card holders have been added till now during the 2020-21 financial year. Moreover, 15,000 job cards were issued to migrant workers lodged at the quarantine camps. They together add up to a total of slightly over 1.65 crore households which have job card holders.
“The scenario on the work front will improve after the lifting of lockdown,” the minister said, adding work opportunities have also been created through self-help groups (SHGs) under the Jeevika (livelihood) programme.
“The SHGs have made 24 lakh masks worth Rs 2.30 crore. Masks worth Rs 1.65 crore have already been sold to various departments, banks and other bodies,” he said.
The government has been giving 5kg of rice to each ration card holder under the FSA and another 5kg of rice and 1kg of pulse under PMGKAY.
The central consumer protection department headed by Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan has been providing foodgrain for distribution among 8.57 crore people (or 1.71 crore families) of the state by way of ration card holders through the chain of active public distribution system (PDS) shops.
However, the state’s food and consumer protection department minister Madan Sahni has demanded that the foodgrain be also supplied for distribution among the left out 14 lakh ration card holders. The department has already identified another chunk of 25 lakh families which needed support through the PDS shops, and is in the process of issuing ration cards to these newly identified beneficiaries.