THE SUFFERING OF MIGRANT WORKERS EASED

Another big pandemic challenge for the Yogi government came in the form of the return of migrant workers from other states and the paraphernalia of problems associated with the same. The state successfully brought back 35 lakh workers from other states. People coming from other states were kept in quarantine centres for 15 days where they were provided with food, shelter and all necessary medical facilities. Of these, who did not test positive were sent for home-quarantine. The government gave ration-kit and ex-gratia of Rs 1,000 to all workers and labourers sent in home quarantine. Also, workmen in 16 categories falling under Vishwakarma Shram Samman and the destitute were given subsistence allowance of Rs 1,000 each along with free ration. The Chief Minister has deployed dedicated teams to screen the returnees and other workers. These teams have so far medically screened crores of people, along with people who have been under home-quarantine in rural as well as urban areas. Apart from this, the government has also done skill-mapping of the returned workers to give them employment opportunities in the MNREGA and other engagements. Yogi government has signed MoUs for employment of workers returning from other states. This agreement among the Indian Industries Association (IIA), FICCI, Laghu Udyog Bharati and National Real Estate Development Council (NAREDCO) is likely to give employment to more than 11 lakh workers. Even during the lockdown, crushing of sugarcane in 119 sugar mills of the state was on while more than 12,000 brick kilns and 2,500 cold storages remained operative. Work was started in as many as 850 industries where more than 65,000 workers got to restart working. In the same period 3.25 lakh MSME units started working and employed 25.50 lakh workers while more than 80,000 micro units started working with employment to more than 2.5 lakh workmen and labourers. More than 88 lakh labourers have been given jobs under MNREGA. The state also succeeded in prompting the self-help groups for production of masks, sanitizers, PPE kits. So far 3.70 lakh self-help groups have been created in the state.