Cheap shops, houses: What are UP's plans for migrant workers?
Laborers who returned to Uttar Pradesh from other states, after being rendered jobless due to the lockdown, will be given affordable houses and shops, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced on Tuesday. The state government will pay the workers' GSTs and will provide them with electricity, water, and other basic amenities. This announcement falls in line with the government's agenda to help its displaced laborers.
Adityanath spoke to members of Team-11, the team working for the relief operations of the returnees. Besides the aforementioned benefits that the government plans to extend, the BJP-run administration could also give social security, insurance, and training to the workers. During the training, they will be given an internship allowance. Reportedly, 25 lakh workers have returned to the state in recent days.
"If the workers are given employment outside their districts, they should be given the benefit of cheap homes that have all basic amenities. Dormitories should also be set up for migrant workers when they get employed in districts other than their own," Adityanath said.
The state government has also initiated a mammoth skill-mapping exercise. Workers were asked to register themselves with the government portal, revealing about any kind of skill that they possess, which would help them get employed by MSMEs. Additional Chief Secretary (Home), Awanish Awasthi, said over 14.75 lakh workers registered in the first phase. Officials were asked to wrap the exercise in 15 days.
Awasthi said the maximum number, 1.5 lakh, were skilled to work in real estate. This was followed by furniture technicians (26,989). 12,633 home decorators, 10,000 drivers, 4,680 electronic technicians, 5,884 home appliance technicians, 1,558 automobile technicians, 596 pharmaceutical workers, 12,103 dressmakers, 1,274 beauticians, 1,284 handicraft/carpet makers, and 3,364 security guards registered themselves. Information about their qualifications will be collected by 200-member strong call center.
On Sunday, Adityanath, visibly upset that other states didn't take care of the workers properly, announced that permission will be needed if they want to employ laborers from UP. "They are our people... and if some states want them back, they have to seek permission from the state government," Adityanath said while speaking to RSS- affiliated publications 'Panchjanya' and 'Organiser'.
Two days later, his government went back on the announcement. On Tuesday, the state said it will not include the 'prior permission' clause in its migration commission by-laws. The government is also working on a migrant commission named Kamgar/Shramik Kalyan Aayog to help laborers. "The commission is being set up to provide jobs and social security to the workers," an officer said.
