On 18 June 2020, Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman unveiled the Gareeb Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyan scheme during a press conference. The scheme is aimed at generating employment and livelihood opportunities in rural areas to help migrant workers, who have returned to their homes during the crisis. Labour Minister Santosh Gangwar and Rural Development Minister Narendra Singh Tomar were also present at the conference.
The Abhiyan will be launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 20 June 2020, via video conference, from Khagaria district of Bihar, reported PIB. “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,” PMO said in a statement.
The campaign, spread over 125 days, would be run by the govt. in six states− Madhya Pradesh (24), Uttar Pradesh (31), Bihar (32), Jharkhand (3), Rajasthan (22) and Orissa (4). Villages across 116 districts in these states will take part in the campaign through Common Service Centers and Krishi Vigyan Kendra.
FM Sitharaman said, “Within 125 days, for 116 districts, nearly 25 schemes of the government will be bought together under the ‘Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan’. We will reach saturation levels for each of those schemes within these 125 days.” “The Abhiyaan provides a clear blueprint to engage the workers for the next 4 months, we will see how many of them will want to continue or go away in search of jobs elsewhere after this period,” she added.
The scheme would be coordinated by 12 ministries altogether, including rural development, Panchayati Raj, drinking water and sanitation, agriculture, road transport and highways, mines, environment, new and renewable energy, petroleum, and natural gas, railways, and telecom.
“The campaign will cater to the need for job creation in rural areas and thereby also lay the foundation for a more prosperous rural India,” said Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD). In another statement, MoRD said that provisions of a gas pipeline, skill development training, work under the District Mineral Fund, waste management work, and other activities important for livelihood comprises the 25 works which will be offered to migrant workers. Anganwadi centers, rural roads, rural housing, Railway works, RURBAN mission, solar pump set, laying of fiber optic cables, Jaljeevan mission are various works included in the 25-public works, it added.
Finance Minister said that the money allotted for this scheme will be front-loaded. Activities that are otherwise spread over 6 months to 1 year are being front-loaded so that there is no dearth of funds to execute the work during the 125 days. The combined outlay of this program will be Rs 50,000 crore. Everyone who needs work in these 116 districts will be given work, budgeted amounts will be used and if necessary, more will be allocated, she added.
As recommended by the 15th Finance Commission, the money will be allocated to rural local bodies. The scheme will provide work to returnee migrants and enable asset creation in rural areas, empowering rural development.
