UP to bring industry chambers on board for providing jobs to migrants

So far, the state has evacuated more than 2.5 mn stranded workers

Amid the colossal influx of more than 2.5 million stranded workers so far owing to covid-19 lockdown, the Uttar Pradesh government is planning to bring the industry associations on board for providing employment to the migrants.

Considering that more than 100,000 migrants are returning to the state on a daily basis by trains, buses and other means, the migrant labour strength is expected to breach the three million mark soon.

Presiding over a review meeting today, chief minister Adityanath instructed officials to expedite the process of skills mapping of the migrants and prepare a roadmap of involving the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) sector and the different industry bodies for mass employment generation.

“The CM has directed for contacting the industry associations and working in consort with them so as to create job opportunities for the migrant workers,” UP additional chief secretary Awanish Kumar Awasthi said here this evening.

Under the ongoing data mapping exercise, the migrants have been found possessing skills in varied segments, including electronics, electrical, real estate, data entry, furniture, carpentry, auto mechanic, mobile phone repair, garment etc, which the state is now planning to harness locally.

Recently, Adityanath had tasked the officials with exploring ways to develop UP as a textile manufacturing and exporting hub on the lines of Vietnam and Bangladesh.

Since, a large number of migrant workers have been found to be skilled in garment making and tailoring, the CM had observed if the two Asian countries could become textile hubs, then why could not UP achieved the feat, especially with the current availability of trained manpower following reverse exodus.

The state has already announced the setting up of a Migration Commission titled Kaamgar/Shramik (Sevayojan evam Rozgar) Kalyan Aayog for facilitating jobs and social security to the migrant workers. Apart from employment, the state is looking at creating an institutional system of apprenticeship, training and stipend for them. The state will energise rural based industries too.

Besides, the government will involve the district employment exchanges in the process of providing jobs by sharing the skills database of the incoming workers. The government will also leverage the central stimulus package to provide housing facilities to the migrants.

Under the Rs 20 trillion economic stimulus to overcome the covid-19 challenges, the Centre has announced a scheme to help the migrant labourers in getting residential accommodations. The central government will provide affordable rental housing to the migrants and urban poor under the flagship Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) scheme.

So far, the UP government has arranged for 1,511 Shramik Special trains to ferry UP workers, of which 1,337 have already arrived, while the reaming are slated to come in the next 1-2 days. The state has also deployed nearly 12,000 roadways buses to ferry the migrants.