Ministry of Railways chairs review meeting on Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan's progress

Ministry of Railways held a review meeting on the progress made on Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyan on Wednesday, June 24. The meeting was led by Vinod Yadav, Chairman of Railway Board, on a video conference and attended by officials of the Zonal Railways and Railway PSUs.

Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyan was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this month to generate employment opportunities in rural India for migrant workers returning home due to the lockdown, with an aim to address job loss triggered by the outbreak of coronavirus.

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"This Abhiyaan of 125 days will work in mission mode and will involve focussed implementation of various categories of works/activities in 116 districts, each with a large concentration of returnee migrant workers in six states... Around 160 infrastructure works have been identified which are to be expedited,” a statement issued by the railways said.

“The nodal officers will work in close collaboration with state government officials and district magistrates/collectors/deputy commissioners as per the guidelines of the Abhiyaan, being issued by the Department of Rural Development separately,” an order issued by the Personnel Ministry said. The officers appointed are from different services including the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), Indian Forest Service (IFoS), etc. 

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Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan

The scheme has launched in six states namely Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Odisha. A total of 116 districts with more than 25,000 returnee migrant workers from the six states have been chosen for the campaign. It will be a coordinated effort between 12 different ministries. Some jobs listed by the Central government are Community sanitation complex National Highway Works, Construction of wells Plantation Horticulture, Works under PM Ganga Urja project, Solid and liquid waste management works, etc. 

Launching the 'Garib Kalyan Rozgar Abhiyaan' via video conference in Bihar's Katihar in the presence of chief ministers of five states - Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and a minister of Odisha, PM Modi said there are some people who might not appreciate efforts of villagers in the fight against coronavirus but he applauds them for their efforts. The scheme will work in a mission mode in 116 districts across these six states where the maximum number of the migrant workers have returned.

PM Modi said, "The way villages have fought coronavirus has taught a big lesson to the cities. Talent has returned from cities during the lockdown, those whose labour and skills were behind the rapid growth of cities will now boost development of villages with the help of this scheme."

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