UP signs MoUs with industry bodies to create 1.1 million jobs for migrants

The migrant workers will lay the foundation of New UP, says CM Adityanath

The Uttar Pradesh government today signed memorandum of understanding (MoU) with four industry chambers for collectively providing employment to more than 1.1 million migrant labourers, who have returned to the state following covid-19 lockdown.

The MoUs have been signed with Indian Industries Association (IIA), FICCI, Laghu Udyog Bharati (LUB) and National Real Estate Development Council (NAREDCO).

The government will share the migrants’ database with the industry associations, so that they could be absorbed in different industrial, real estate and manufacturing units depending upon their vocational skills and experience, especially micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME).

So far, nearly three million migrant workers have returned to UP by trains, buses and other means from Gujarat, Maharashtra, Punjab, Delhi, Haryana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu etc.

To identify their skills, the state has already completed skills mapping of 1.8 million migrant workers, who have been found to be possessing workmanship in varied segments viz. real estate, textile, electronics, electrical, farming, machine tools, paramedics etc.

Speaking on the occasion, chief minister Yogi Adityanath observed the migrants were the core strength of UP and the state was taking all steps to provide them with employment in the state.

“Till now, these people were contributing towards the development of other states, now we will harness their skills for building a New Uttar Pradesh,” he said while acknowledging the industry bodies had reposed their faith in the potential of these workers.

Apart from jobs, the government intends to provide apprenticeship and training to the migrants, apart from making provisions for their social security, such as insurance.

“Under the Rs 20 trillion economic stimulus package announced by the Centre, the finance minister has provided a package of Rs 3 trillion for the MSME sector. Taking the agenda forward, we have already organised an online loan mela, which benefitted 57,000 units,” he said.

Meanwhile, the CM lauded the UP based industries for paying salaries and wages to their workers even during the lockdown period. “More than 94 per cent or 75,000 industrial entities paid nearly Rs 1,700 crore in wages to their workers, although they were not operational.”

He noted owing to the ‘timely action’ and ‘farsightedness’ of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India, despite its huge population, was relatively in a better covid-19 pandemic situation compared to other countries.

Recently, the state had announced the setting up of a Migration Commission ‘Kaamgar/Shramik (Sevayojan evam Rozgar) Kalyan Aayog’ for facilitating jobs and social security to the workers. The state will integrate the district level employment exchanges with the Commission.

“We are the process of amending our MSME policy and expanding the industrial land bank for attracting investment. I am confident that the migrant workers will not only pave the way for the development of UP, but India as a whole,” he added.