Take challenge as opportunity for Bihar: Nitish Kumar

PATNA: CM Nitish Kumar on Monday asked industries and other related departments to take all necessary steps to provide employment to returnee migrants and local workers who did not go to other states in search of jobs. He asked the officials to convert the challenge arising out of the Covid-19 pandemic into an opportunity to boost state’s economy.
Speaking at a meeting with officials to review the state government’s work to contain further spread of Covid-19, CM asked the industries department officials to positively utilize the skills of migrant workers in state’s economy. “Those workers who returned from outside the state should be provided job even in the running industrial units based on their skill mapping,” he said.
Nitish asked chief secretary Deepak Kumar to monitor all employment-generating works and schemes on a regular basis to provide employment to maximum number of people. “Select labour intensive schemes so that maximum migrant workers can get employment opportunity,” Nitish told officials.
He asked them to promote new industries as per the skill of available workforce in the state. “Take feedback from the skilled migrant workers and suggest the state government as to what kind of incentives can be provided for establishment of new industrial units in the state. Also prepare a proposal suggesting whether there is a need of midterm amendment to the state’s Industrial Promotion Policy?” CM said.
Nitish said the Bihar government had, since the beginning of the nationwide lockdown, been following the Centre’s guidelines. Even in the case of Unlock1.0, the state has implemented the Centre’s guidelines in toto. He said the state government was taking all necessary steps to provide assistance to the needy people.