A Curtain Raiser Press Conference was held today on the Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan to be launched by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on 20^th June 2020. Addressing the Press Conference, Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman said that workers from all over the country, both men and women, after COVID lockdown have returned to their villages in large numbers. Government of India together with the State Governments have mapped the districts where these migrant workers have largely returned and it is seen that approximately 116 districts spread over 6 states namely Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Odisha have received substantial numbers of returnees, which includes 27 Aspirational Districts.

Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman said that the Government of India together with the concerned State Governments has carried out mapping of skill sets of these migrant workers and majority of them have been found to be skilled in some kind of work. Based on this and to mitigate their difficulties during next 4 months, 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.

Giving further details, the Finance Minister said that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will launch this Abhiyaan on 20^th June, 2020 from Village – Telihar, Block- Beldaur of Khagaria District of Bihar. 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.

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. Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman said that 25 works of Government of India will be brought together for the identified districts to provide employment for everyone who needs it and the money allotted to all these works will be pooled together and frontloaded for completion of asset creation within 125 days.

Union Minister for Labour and Employment Shri Santosh Gangwar, Adviser to PM Shri Amarjeet Sinha and Secretary, Rural Development Shri Nagendra Nath Sinha were also present during the curtain raiser Press Conference. A presentation on the Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan was given by Secretary, Rural Development, Government of India.

(Link of presentation on Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan)

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APS/SG