Best Practices on Employment Generation for Migrant Workers (Skill Development and Employment Vertical)

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Best Practices from States and Districts
Empowering Migrant Workers through Skill
Development and Livelihood Generation
November 2020 Best Practices from States and Districts
Empowering Migrant
Workers through Skill
Development and
Livelihood Generation
Compiled by Skill Development &
Employment Vertical The Team
Additional Secretary,
Dr. K. Rajeswara Rao
Director,
Mr. Mukesh Kr. Gupta
Consultant (Skill Development & Employment)
Dr. Sakshi Khurana
Economic Officer
Satish Chandra
Young Professional
Ankita Saxena
Consultant (Editor)
Indrani Dasgupta Preface
Introduction
Uttar Pradesh
Maharashtra
Bihar
Jharkhand
Odisha
Madhya Pradesh
Karnataka
Rajasthan
Andhra Pradesh
Contents
5
7
14
22
27
37
43
47
49
51
55 The Covid-19 pandemic brought with it several challenges for
India and nations across the world. Even as we set about trying to
secure the nation from this disease, the livelihoods of many
unorganized and migrant workers were hit. The resilience of its
people
—the spirit to march ahead even in the face of
difficulties
—has led India to find opportunities even in times of
adversity. In this context, several initiatives were undertaken by
states to manage the movements of migrant workers across
districts, states and regions. The workers had to be provided with
food, shelter and alternative sources of livelihood.
It is commendable that several states took swift measures in
assisting stranded migrant workers and launching initiatives in
the areas of skill-mapping and livelihood generation for those
who had come back to their states of origin and other workers in
the unorganized sector. This compilation of best practices from
across states is a glimpse into the massive and relentless exercise
undertaken by various state governments to address grave
challenges in the wake of the covid-19 pandemic.
The Central Government undertook initiatives for creating jobs
at the local level and supporting migrant workers through
Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana, Aatmanirbhar Bharat
Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Rozgar Abhiyaan.
State administrations responded to the Prime Minister’s call for
an aatmanirbhar Bharat and launched initiatives that focused on
Preface
5 making workers self-reliant, helping them regain their confidence
through livelihood support and social protection.
States undertook the massive exercise of skill-mapping, which
directed the creation of livelihood opportunities and
identification of reskilling needs. States like Uttar Pradesh,
Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Karnataka
launched portals and mobile-based apps for connecting workers
with employment opportunities and providing access to social
security and skill development. Technology has played a critical
role in these initiatives, showing how data of a large number of
workers and their families can be collated and used for mapping of
skill, to provide access to shelter, food and other social security
measures. It is noteworthy that these initiatives have had a focus
on social inclusion and women empowerment, helping several
women learn new skills, form self-help groups and start their own
enterprises.
Significantly, many such initiatives have opened new pathways for
innovative solutions to problems of livelihood and social security
faced by migrant workers. These initiatives are showing the way
for programmes and interventions that can have a long-term
impact for vulnerable social groups, particularly for unorganized
worker households. Future initiatives would benefit immensely in
drawing lessons from and replicating these measures on a larger
scale, leveraging technology and data for a self-reliant and
self-confident workforce of an aatmanirbhar Bharat.
Preface
6
Amitabh Kant
CEO, NITI Aayog
November 2020 The Covid-19 pandemic presented various socio-economic
groups across countries with grave challenges. Migrant
workers in India—mostly comprising daily wage labourers
working in manufacturing and construction industries,
and those engaged in agriculture, retail and services—are
one such group that was adversely affected. As the
livelihoods of many of these workers were disrupted,
several decided to return to their native towns and villages,
leading to a situation where different state administrations
had to manage their movements.
Consequently, Central and state governments undertook
various relief measures for migrant workers intended to
provide them meals and arranging safe transportation to
their native towns and villages. The Centre also started
initiatives for creating jobs at the local level and supporting
migrant workers through the Pradhan Mantri Garib
Kalyan Yojana, Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Pradhan Mantri
Garib Kalyan Rozgar Abhayan. The Ministry of Labour
and Employment, Government of India, directed all states
receiving migrant workers to undertake skill mapping of
such labourers and provide them suitable livelihood
opportunities.
In this context, several states took commendable proactive
steps for assisting stranded migrant workers and launching
Introduction
7 proactive steps for assisting stranded migrant workers and
launching initiatives for livelihood generation for returned
migrants and workers in the unorganized sector.
Recognizing these efforts by state governments and district
authorities, NITI Aayog has compiled a list of initiatives
and best practices undertaken for livelihood generation,
skill mapping and the creation of database of migrant
workers for better policy implementation. The states
discussed below are Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar,
Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Odisha, Rajasthan
and Andhra Pradesh, and a few of their aspirational
districts.
Uttar Pradesh’s Sewa Mitra application uses a
multi-dimensional approach—it leverages technology and
brick-and-mortar institutions—to collect data on workers
and provide them meaningful employment. In the
Aspirational District of Siddharthnagar, upskilling and
self-employment opportunities were undertaken. Similarly,
in Fatehpur, another Aspirational District, a group of local
students and professionals developed a mobile application
to help local residents get access to items of daily use as per
their need. Shopkeepers with permits were registered and
delivered essential goods to residents.
Maharashtra government’s Mahajobs portal seeks to link all
job seekers, locals, migrants, and entrepreneurs by reducing
the gap between demand and supply of manpower in
different skills, enabling industries to function seamlessly,
and creating a permanent system for industries in the state
to get suitable local workers. Around 4500 migrant workers
stranded in the state’s Buldhana district during the
lockdown in April and May, were supported through an
initiative called Operation Dignity, which provided safe
Introduction
8 shelter, medical check-ups, counseling sessions and smooth
transportation to their hometowns and villages. The
district administration also launched a shelter management
app, which was later rolled out in the rest of the state. The
app collated data on various migrant camps and the inflow
of workers at the village level. It also enabled the district
and village administrations to record skill sets,
qualifications, Aadhaar, bank details, basic facilities at
quarantine centres (water supply, sanitation, safety, and
security), health screening results for fourteen days, etc. The
data collected was further analysed for skill training,
entrepreneurship development and placement of workers
as per demand–supply in the local market, companies and
institutions.
Returning migrants in Bihar were registered on the state’s
disaster management portal, based on which benefits were
provided under various state schemes to dependants of
unorganized sector labourers and migrant workers who
succumbed to Covid-19.
In Bihar’s Muzaffarpur district, the district administration
identified seven clusters in various blocks for employment
generation and set up manufacturing units of different
industries, under the Zila Audyogik Nav Parivartan Yojana
and Mukhyamantri Kushal Shramik Udyami Cluster
Yojana.
To address the issue of livelihood generation, the
Aurangabad District Administration constituted a project
team ‘Mission Employment Aurangabad’. Under this, the
district authorities, after registration and skill mapping of
the returned migrants, set output- and outcome-based
targets to provide employment opportunities according to
people’s skill sets. The GM District Industries Centre,
Introduction
9 Aurangabad, organized a job mela, with only local
companies and job roles on offer. In fact, to provide more
employment opportunities and boost the local economy,
the Aurangabad District Administration is further
developing five livelihood projects with a total investment
of Rs 50 lakh. For the same purpose, the district
administration is conducting a background analysis to
identify and develop suitable livelihood projects for
industries that can sustain for a long period of time.
The District Administration of Katihar in Bihar set up
Jeevika Yuva Paramarsh Sah Sansadhan Kendra (JYPSSK)
to support migrant workers. JYPSSK is a centre for
employment and income-generating activities, and is
focused on counseling the youth of Katihar, an
Aspirational District, and providing resources to support
them.
Jamui, another Aspirational District in Bihar, undertook
skill mapping from the data collected when migrants came
back home and fed it in the ‘Chakshu’ mobile app and
disaster management portal of the Bihar government. For
developing more employment opportunities within the
district, three clusters were identified through skill
mapping. Further to the Prime Minister’s clarion call of an
Aatmanirbhar Bharat, the setting up of innovative
start-ups, small- and medium-sector businesses supported
through credit linkages were encouraged.
Meanwhile, in the neighbouring state of Jharkhand, the
State Control Room located its stranded migrant
population, registered them, and provided them with the
required aid to weather the immediate crises of food,
shelter, rent and other problems. The State Control Room
further initiated the process of individual skill mapping,
Introduction
10 facilitating safe migration and employment opportunities
within and outside Jharkhand. Various initiatives, such as
the engagement of the workforce with Border Road
Organization (BRO) projects in specific states and union
territories, were undertaken. Also, three schemes—Birsa
Harit Gram Yojana to use fallow unused government land
for afforestation; Neelambar Pitambar Jal Sammridhi
Yojana for water conservation; and Poto Ho Khel Vikas for
making playgrounds—to boost rural employment were
implemented.
Employers and employment suppliers can register
themselves on Madhya Pradesh’s Rojgar Setu portal to
search for eligible employees among the data of migrant
workers uploaded by the district administration. The
portal also monitors the provision of ration to families of
migrant labourers under the National Food Safety Act and
Aatmanirbhar Bharat. The state also enrolls the children of
migrant workers in schools.
Among the various initiatives undertaken by the Karnataka
government, noteworthy are its Dasoha portal for taking
food requests of migrants and registering construction
workers; the Seva Sindhu portal for providing
transportation to migrant labourers to other states; and
Kaushalkar.com for skill mapping, assessing training needs
and employment. Also, Karnataka Skill Development
Corporation contacted industry associations, such as
Karnataka Small Scale Industries Association (KASSIA),
Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and
Industries (FKCCI), and others to boost employment
opportunities for migrant workers.
The Odisha government implemented in all its 114 urban
local bodies, the Urban Wage Employment Initiative, which
Introduction
11 is focused on generating opportunities in the fields of
rain-water harvesting, sanitation, community centre and
open space development, increasing green cover and
beautifying urban areas.
Cuttack district launched Lakshmi (Livelihood
Advancement through Knowledge Self-help and Modern
Initiative), focused on self- and wage employment. Job
drives were conducted to recruit workers in construction
projects, railways and infrastructure development. The
Dhenkanal District Administration organized a special
re-engagement drive, Project Thaithan, for returning
migrants. Candidates were selected for recruitment in
agencies such as NHAI, Dreams Construction, Sew
Infrastructure, Wechon, Senco India, SIS, Jai Sriram
Enterprises. Also, a loan of Rs 10,000 was offered to each
interested returned migrant worker willing to start afresh as
a street vendor.
The Raj-Kaushal: Rajasthan Labour Employment
Exchange portal not only has a vast database of skilled,
semi-skilled, and unskilled workers, but also information
on various employers registered as establishment, factory,
industry, company in the state. Envisaged as a step towards
an Aatmanirbhar Bharat, the portal provides citizens
opportunities to upgrade their skills and start working in
nearby localities.
The Government of Andhra Pradesh implemented ‘mahila
prangnams’ for skilling women. Entrepreneurship and
awareness camps were held to enable women entrepreneurs
to build the foundation and understand the basics of
handling day-to-today business activities, with support
from government facilities and International Labour
Organization (ILO) programmes.
Introduction
12 We thank all state governments, district
magistrates/collectors and other stakeholders for
undertaking swift measures to address the grave challenges
faced by migrant workers in the wake of the covid-19
pandemic. Your efforts have indeed opened up new avenues
for so many workers and their families.
We hope all migrant workers and those in the unorganized
sector become aware of their entitlements and make use of
the opportunities and government support offered to them.
We welcome relevant feedback and suggestions.
Our best wishes to everyone for success in all their
endeavors.
Dr. K. Rajeswara Rao, IAS
Additional Secretary
NITI Aayog
Government of India
Introduction
13 14
Sewa Mitra Platform
Uttar Pradesh is home to both those who were born there
and those who chose to make it their homes. Workers have
always migrated from and to Uttar Pradesh. So, when the
Covid-19 pandemic struck the world with a ferocity that
left everyone reeling, the state like others realized very
quickly that it must come to aid of its citizens, especially the
vulnerable ones.
Early on, and in fact even before the nationwide lockdown
was imposed, Uttar Pradesh launched ‘Sewa Mitra’ on 12
March. The platform employs a multi-dimensional
approach—it leverages technology as well as
brick-and-mortar institutions to create better reach.
It is spearheaded by the Employment Directorate, which is
under the Department of Labour. Mentioned below are
some of its features:
Data Collection
1. Database of Migrant Returnees
Data of more than 37 lakh workers who returned to the
state was skill mapped without creating any extra
burden or efforts. The data was categorized into over
100 skill sets and captured both skilled and unskilled
workers.
Uttar Pradesh 2. Database of Resident Workers
For creating a database of resident skilled workers,
district magistrates were directed to conduct camps and
ensure that registration happened on a large scale.
Around 18 lakh construction workers, registered with
the BOCW (Building and Construction Workers)
scheme, were added to platform from the Labour
Department’s website.
3. Registration Mechanism for All Types of Workers
All workers (resident as well as migrant) were also
enabled to self-register on the platform, so that if
anyone was left out, they could be catered to. The
registration mechanism operated not only through the
Sewa Mitra website but also through the District
Employment Office and common service centres.
Post data collection, the next step was to use the
information to provide meaningful employment to these
workers. For this purpose, the Sewa Mitra Platform
operates in three modes:
a. Sewa Mitra – Government Departments (G2E)
b. Sewa Mitra – Industries (G2B)
c. Sewa Mitra – Citizen Connect (G2C)
Sewa Mitra: Government Departments
Under this mode, login access has been given to almost
22,500 UP government officials, from the state to block
level. After logging in with their credentials, every official
can view the entire worker database under their
jurisdiction. Thereafter, they can search for workers in any
specific skill set and/or mark those who were provided work
under any project or government scheme as well as the
contract time period.
In this way, the platform provides real-time status of all workers employed by government departments. When the marked time period of the worker ends, they return to the pool and become available for re-employment.
Sewa Mitra: Industries
Under this mode, login access was given to various
industries and industry association such as FICCI, CII, etc.,
operating in and outside UP. The industries can access the
entire database of workers in the state. They can also hire
workers according to their requirements and mark them.
The marked worker is removed from the pool for the
specified contract period and is blocked for that particular
industry. After the contract ends, the worker returns to the
pool and becomes available for re-employment. During the
employment period, if the industry is not satisfied with the
worker or if the worker is unhappy, either can preemptively
end the contract.
Sewa Mitra: Citizen Connect
Under this mode, UP citizens can directly avail services of
skilled workers. This mode operates in two ways:
(i) Sewa Mitra: Citizen Connect for Service Provider
Company Interface
(ii) Sewa Mitra: Citizen Connect (Direct Service), under
which workers are verified by the district employment
officer and police
Thereafter, they are allowed to directly provide services to
citizens. Workers can be booked either through the Sewa
Mitra app or website, or by physically approaching the
Common Service Centre in a village.
In these ways, the platform generates employment for
skilled workers, while at the same time enables citizens and
Uttar Pradesh
15 Post data collection, the next step was to use the
information to provide meaningful employment to these
workers. For this purpose, the Sewa Mitra Platform
operates in three modes:
a. Sewa Mitra – Government Departments (G2E)
b. Sewa Mitra – Industries (G2B)
c. Sewa Mitra – Citizen Connect (G2C)
Sewa Mitra: Government Departments
Under this mode, login access has been given to almost
22,500 UP government officials, from the state to block
level. After logging in with their credentials, every official
can view the entire worker database under their
jurisdiction. Thereafter, they can search for workers in any
specific skill set and/or mark those who were provided work
under any project or government scheme as well as the
contract time period.
In this way, the platform provides real-time status of all
workers employed by government departments. When the
marked time period of the worker ends, they return to the
pool and become available for re-employment.
Sewa Mitra: Industries
Under this mode, login access was given to various
industries and industry association such as FICCI, CII, etc.,
operating in and outside UP. The industries can access the
entire database of workers in the state. They can also hire
workers according to their requirements and mark them.
The marked worker is removed from the pool for the
specified contract period and is blocked for that particular
industry. After the contract ends, the worker returns to the
pool and becomes available for re-employment. During the
employment period, if the industry is not satisfied with the
worker or if the worker is unhappy, either can preemptively
end the contract.
Sewa Mitra: Citizen Connect
Under this mode, UP citizens can directly avail services of
skilled workers. This mode operates in two ways:
(i) Sewa Mitra: Citizen Connect for Service Provider
Company Interface
(ii) Sewa Mitra: Citizen Connect (Direct Service), under
which workers are verified by the district employment
officer and police
Thereafter, they are allowed to directly provide services to
citizens. Workers can be booked either through the Sewa
Mitra app or website, or by physically approaching the
Common Service Centre in a village.
In these ways, the platform generates employment for
skilled workers, while at the same time enables citizens and
Uttar Pradesh
16 industries to connect with the kind of service providers
they are looking for. It also allows the state government to
monitor real-time employment opportunities generated in
the informal sector.
The data and reports from the platform can also help
policymakers decide various social security measures for
such workers, which can then be implemented via Sewa
Mitra itself as it already has all the requisite details,
including banking details for any direct benefit transfer
(DBT) if needed.
There are plans to integrate this platform with the Skill
Development Mission so that real-time opportunity for
upskilling and reskilling remains available to skilled
workers and they can achieve proper certification for their
skill sets.
Since its launch, Sewa Mitra has been a hit. Several skilled
workers were provided employment by various industries.
Many unskilled workers got employment under
MGNREGA and nearly 80,000 provided skill training.
After skilling and certification, workers enjoy a premium
on the platform. Print advertisements, social media and the
district administration have ensured awareness about the
platform. It was due to a combined effort that in a span of
only four months, the platform boasted a database of over
50 lakh skilled workers, a performance of over 3 lakh jobs
and many more in pipeline.
Uttar Pradesh
17 SIDDHARTHNAGAR: Leveraging Self-Help Groups
Upskilling and providing self-employment opportunities
to migrant and other labourers, with a particular focus on
women, through self-help groups
As many as 2 lakh migrants flooded back to Siddharthnagar
District—the highest in Uttar Pradesh—in the wake of the
Covid-19 lockdown. The crisis presented a unique
opportunity to the district administration to ensure the
migrants got employment opportunities. So,
Siddharthnagar Administration took the initiative of
upskilling and providing self-employment opportunities to
migrant and other labourers, focusing particularly on
women, through self-help groups.
Through krishi vigyan kendras and Rural
Self-Employment Training Institute, the district
administration conducted multiple trainings of women
who were part of self-help groups. As many as 2231
migrant women workers had been added to SHGs formed
in the district till the end of July. Trainings were conducted
in the fields of mushroom production, tailoring, backyard
poultry farming, creating vegetable nursery, bee-keeping and goat-rearing.
A beneficiary for training was selected on the basis of them
being a member of a self-help group, with preference given
to returned migrant women workers or spouses of such
labourers, and those belonging to SC/ST/OBC
communities or other vulnerable groups such as widows.
The training was supplemented with a community
investment fund under the National Rural Livelihood
Mission Scheme. A fund of Rs 1.10 lakh was given to each
SHG for internal lending and capital investment. This
turned out to be a boon for the women who were trained.
These groups’ products are also supplied to various
government departments. For example, women trained in
stitching are involved in making uniforms for children in
government schools, thus aligning the initiative with the
Prime Minister’s vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
FATEHPUR: Delivery App
A group of local students and professionals developed a
mobile-based application to help locals get daily-use items
as per their needs. Shopkeepers with permits were
registered on the app and asked to deliver the items as per
the given time.
Uttar Pradesh
18 SIDDHARTHNAGAR: Leveraging Self-Help Groups
Upskilling and providing self-employment opportunities
to migrant and other labourers, with a particular focus on
women, through self-help groups
As many as 2 lakh migrants flooded back to Siddharthnagar
District—the highest in Uttar Pradesh—in the wake of the
Covid-19 lockdown. The crisis presented a unique
opportunity to the district administration to ensure the
migrants got employment opportunities. So,
Siddharthnagar Administration took the initiative of
upskilling and providing self-employment opportunities to
migrant and other labourers, focusing particularly on
women, through self-help groups.
Through krishi vigyan kendras and Rural
Self-Employment Training Institute, the district
administration conducted multiple trainings of women
who were part of self-help groups. As many as 2231
migrant women workers had been added to SHGs formed
in the district till the end of July. Trainings were conducted
in the fields of mushroom production, tailoring, backyard
poultry farming, creating vegetable nursery, bee-keeping
and goat-rearing.
A beneficiary for training was selected on the basis of them
being a member of a self-help group, with preference given
to returned migrant women workers or spouses of such
labourers, and those belonging to SC/ST/OBC
communities or other vulnerable groups such as widows.
The training was supplemented with a community
investment fund under the National Rural Livelihood
Mission Scheme. A fund of Rs 1.10 lakh was given to each
SHG for internal lending and capital investment. This
turned out to be a boon for the women who were trained.
These groups’ products are also supplied to various
government departments. For example, women trained in
stitching are involved in making uniforms for children in
government schools, thus aligning the initiative with the
Prime Minister’s vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
FATEHPUR: Delivery App
A group of local students and professionals developed a
mobile-based application to help locals get daily-use items
as per their needs. Shopkeepers with permits were
registered on the app and asked to deliver the items as per
the given time.
Uttar Pradesh
19 Career Counseling for Workers through Help Desks in Shravasti District
Uttar Pradesh
20 Uttar Pradesh
21
Skill development training for women of migrant families through self-help group in Shravasti Relief Camp, Site Databas
Even though it was one of the worst-hit states, Maharashtra
buckled down to extend support to stranded migrant
workers. Within a week of the announcement of the
nationwide lockdown, the Labour Department started
compiling information about sites where migrant workers
were present before the lockdown. An online ‘Migrant
Worker Sites, Relief Camps’ data collection form was
circulated on 28 March to all district collectors and Labour
Department officials. Information about the location of
about 3 lakh workers was compiled using this form.
A dashboard was also created on Google Forms’ response
page, showing division- and district-wise summary of the
data collected.
This database was also used for providing mid-day meals to
construction workers at these sites. As physical distancing
and other precautionary measures were strictly followed, no
report of any worker testing positive during their stay at the
construction sites was reported.
Skill-Mapping ExerciseFollowing directions by the Ministry of Labour and Employment, the state’s Labour Department immediately created a bilingual (Hindi/English) Google form for data collection and skill mapping of migrant workers belonging to three categories:a) Those staying at relief camps and sheltersb) Those staying in-situ at their workplacec) Those staying at migrant workers’ cluster localities
The data collected was used for enrolling the workers under
various schemes.
22
Maharashtra
Livelihood Generation, Skill Mapping and
Compiling Database of Migrant Workers Relief Camp, Site Databas
Even though it was one of the worst-hit states, Maharashtra
buckled down to extend support to stranded migrant
workers. Within a week of the announcement of the
nationwide lockdown, the Labour Department started
compiling information about sites where migrant workers
were present before the lockdown. An online ‘Migrant
Worker Sites, Relief Camps’ data collection form was
circulated on 28 March to all district collectors and Labour
Department officials. Information about the location of
about 3 lakh workers was compiled using this form.
A dashboard was also created on Google Forms’ response
page, showing division- and district-wise summary of the
data collected.
This database was also used for providing mid-day meals to
construction workers at these sites. As physical distancing
and other precautionary measures were strictly followed, no
report of any worker testing positive during their stay at the
construction sites was reported.
Skill-Mapping Exercise
Following directions by the Ministry of Labour and
Employment, the state’s Labour Department immediately
created a bilingual (Hindi/English) Google form for data
collection and skill mapping of migrant workers belonging
to three categories:
a) Those staying at relief camps and shelters
b) Those staying in-situ at their workplace
c) Those staying at migrant workers’ cluster localities
The data collected was used for enrolling the workers under
various schemes.
Counselling Centres-cum-Help Desks
To provide assistance to distressed migrant workers, these
centres/help desks were established at the district collectors’
and district labour offices. The Mahajobs portal has details
of schemes available for returned migrant workers and the
help desks set up for them.
Maharashtra
23 Mahajobs
The Department of Industries, in association with the
Department of Labour and Skill Development, launched
an industrial employment bureau or the Mahajobs portal
on 6 July. The portal seeks to link all job seekers, locals,
migrants, and entrepreneurs by reducing the gap between
demand and supply of manpower in different skills, enable
industries to function seamlessly, and create a permanent
system for industries in the state to get suitable local
workers.
BULDHANA: Aapulki,
1
Shelter Management, Livelihoods
Mapping Initiative
Earlier this year in April and May, Buldhana District in
Maharashtra’s Amravati region found itself home to 4500
migrants who were stranded there during the countrywide
lockdown. Through an initiative called Operation Dignity,
the district administration provided shelter, medical
check-ups, counselling sessions and made arrangements to
send the migrants back home.
However, during the ‘Unlock’ phase, a sea of migrant workers
returned to Buldhana. There was felt an urgent need for
better integration of these labourers and the district
administration strived to come up with innovative solutions.
Consequently, the Buldhana District Administration
collaborated with Unicef and came up with the shelter
management app, which is now being rolled out in the rest of
the state. The app was primarily conceived to monitor
migrant shelters. However, by the time it was up and
running, most of camps had been emptied. So, it was decided that additional features would be added to include those who came back to the district.
The application enables the district and village
administrations to record skill sets, qualifications, Aadhaar
and bank details, basic facilities at quarantine centres (like
water supply, sanitation, safety, and security), health
screening reports for fourteen days.
Additionally, it also captures various demographic data such
as age, disability, gender, etc. The data collected was further
analysed for skill training, entrepreneurship development
and placement of workers as per demand–supply in the local
market, companies and institutions.
The app ensures accessibility of entitlements to the
worst-affected citizens and is thus a potent tool of equitable
justice in the hands of district administration.
The district administration is very optimistic that this
collaborative effort is going to fulfill the tenets of the
ambitious Aatmanirbhar Bharat Yojana. With a focused
approach on inclusion, this effort has brought to fore the
need for equity and inclusion of women, vulnerable social
groups, and people with special needs, in terms of skilling,
upskilling and reskilling and livelihood generation.
Maharashtra
24
1
Aapulki means a feeling of closeness in Marathi. This initiative is an effort to integrate the
returned migrants in the district as per their needs. It is to ensure a sense of belonging in the
people who returned due to Covid-19. Earlier this year in April and May, Buldhana District in
Maharashtra’s Amravati region found itself home to 4500
migrants who were stranded there during the countrywide
lockdown. Through an initiative called Operation Dignity,
the district administration provided shelter, medical
check-ups, counselling sessions and made arrangements to
send the migrants back home.
However, during the ‘Unlock’ phase, a sea of migrant workers
returned to Buldhana. There was felt an urgent need for
better integration of these labourers and the district
administration strived to come up with innovative solutions.
Consequently, the Buldhana District Administration
collaborated with Unicef and came up with the shelter
management app, which is now being rolled out in the rest of
the state. The app was primarily conceived to monitor
migrant shelters. However, by the time it was up and
running, most of camps had been emptied. So, it was decided
that additional features would be added to include those who
came back to the district.
The application enables the district and village
administrations to record skill sets, qualifications, Aadhaar
and bank details, basic facilities at quarantine centres (like
water supply, sanitation, safety, and security), health
screening reports for fourteen days.
Additionally, it also captures various demographic data such
as age, disability, gender, etc. The data collected was further
analysed for skill training, entrepreneurship development
and placement of workers as per demand–supply in the local
market, companies and institutions.
The app ensures accessibility of entitlements to the
worst-affected citizens and is thus a potent tool of equitable
justice in the hands of district administration.
The district administration is very optimistic that this
collaborative effort is going to fulfill the tenets of the
ambitious Aatmanirbhar Bharat Yojana. With a focused
approach on inclusion, this effort has brought to fore the
need for equity and inclusion of women, vulnerable social
groups, and people with special needs, in terms of skilling,
upskilling and reskilling and livelihood generation.
Maharashtra
25 Maharashtra
26 Migrant workers returning to Bihar during the Covid-19
outbreak were registered on the state’s disaster
management portal, along with details such as their name
and mobile number, state of origin, skills, home district
and block.
The Bihar State Migrant Labour Accident Grants Scheme
Rules, 2008, was amended to include Rs 1,00,0001 as
ex-gratia amount for dependants of urorganized sector
workers who may succumb to Covid-19. Similarly, their
dependants are also eligible for Rs 1,00,000 under the
Unorganised Sector Workers and Artisan Social Security
Scheme, 2011.
MUZAFFARPUR: Employment Generation and
Livelihood Promotion through Cluster-Based Approach
Muzaffarpur District undertook various activities and
initiatives—plantation drives, rain-water harvesting,
soak-pit construction, rejuvenation of wells, construction
of community toilets, anganwadi constructions and
upgradation of infrastructure, upgradation and
construction of Panchayat Sarkar Bhawan, cattle- and
goat-shed constructions, solid and liquid waste
management under the Lohiya Swachh Bharat
Abhiyaan—to employ returned migrants.
Under the Bihar government’s Zila Audyogik Nav Parivartan Yojana and Mukhyamantri Kushal Shramik Udyami Cluster Yojana, seven clusters were identified to be set up at various blocks. As per the skill mapping done, these clusters have been developed for employment generation by setting up a readymade garment manufacturing unit, sweets packaging boxes unit, lahthi (lac bangle) park, mobile charger assembling unit, and paver blocks manufacturing unit. Each cluster started with 25–30 members and grew to provide employment to 200–300 people. The cluster and deputy heads, and accounts lead were elected amongst the group members through meetings. These clusters are registered as Limited Liability Partnership entities to ensure sustainability and proper workflow.
27
Bihar Migrant workers returning to Bihar during the Covid-19
outbreak were registered on the state’s disaster
management portal, along with details such as their name
and mobile number, state of origin, skills, home district
and block.
The Bihar State Migrant Labour Accident Grants Scheme
Rules, 2008, was amended to include Rs 1,00,0001 as
ex-gratia amount for dependants of urorganized sector
workers who may succumb to Covid-19. Similarly, their
dependants are also eligible for Rs 1,00,000 under the
Unorganised Sector Workers and Artisan Social Security
Scheme, 2011.
MUZAFFARPUR: Employment Generation and
Livelihood Promotion through Cluster-Based Approach
Muzaffarpur District undertook various activities and
initiatives—plantation drives, rain-water harvesting,
soak-pit construction, rejuvenation of wells, construction
of community toilets, anganwadi constructions and
upgradation of infrastructure, upgradation and
construction of Panchayat Sarkar Bhawan, cattle- and
goat-shed constructions, solid and liquid waste
management under the Lohiya Swachh Bharat
Abhiyaan—to employ returned migrants.
Under the Bihar government’s Zila Audyogik Nav
Parivartan Yojana and Mukhyamantri Kushal Shramik
Udyami Cluster Yojana, seven clusters were identified to be
set up at various blocks. As per the skill mapping done,
these clusters have been developed for employment
generation by setting up a readymade garment
manufacturing unit, sweets packaging boxes unit, lahthi
(lac bangle) park, mobile charger assembling unit, and paver
blocks manufacturing unit. Each cluster started with
25–30 members and grew to provide employment to
200–300 people. The cluster and deputy heads, and
accounts lead were elected amongst the group members
through meetings. These clusters are registered as Limited
Liability Partnership entities to ensure sustainability and
proper workflow.
Bihar
28
Construction work done under Garib Kalyan Rozgar Abhiyan Glimpse of work done under Lohiya Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan by a
returnee migrant
Mission Employment Aurangabad
As many as 27,322 migrants returned to Aurangabad
District during the Covid-19 pandemic. To ensure
livelihood opportunities, the district administration
constituted a project team called Mission Employment
Aurangabad.
Under this framework, an initial situation analysis was
carried out to understand the needs and requirements of
the migrants. Subsequently, the district administration
took up registration and skill mapping. Following this,
output- and outcome-based targets were set to provide
employment opportunities according to skill sets.
Bihar
29
The Muzaffarpur District Administration—with the
support of Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society or
Jeevika—is also focused on providing maximum support to
small scale businesses under its jurisdiction, there by
making people more self-reliant and improving the living
standards of migrants who have returned home. options that can be taken up using local resources. Initial
survey results revealed agriculture to be the top category,
with more than 70% of Aurangabad’s population engaged
in it. Handicrafts and handlooms have been identified as
the second most preferable sector, with carpet-making a
major craft practised in the district for centuries. Given the
prevalence of forest-based activities in the district, the
production of eco-friendly goods is another potential
income-generating area. Business plans will be developed
for the same to ensure that the developed industries can
sustain for a long period of time.
Garib Kalyan Rojgar Yojana
Under the Garib Kalyan Rojgar Yojana, the district received
a target of providing 25,13,348 employment-generating
days. As much as Rs 89.82 crore has been spent to create
infrastructure ranging from Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak
Yojana roads, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana houses,
community sanitary complexes, water conservation and
harvesting works, farm ponds, cattle sheds, etc.
Job Mela
Based on job profiles and initial surveys regarding job
demands, the GM District Industries Centre organized a
job mela on 11 June 2020, where only local companies and
job roles were offered. A total of thirty companies from the
district took part, looking for suitable candidates, and
offering salary in the range of Rs 6,000–18,000.
Livelihood Projects
The Aurangabad District Administration is also developing
five livelihood projects—after conducting a background
analysis—with a total investment of Rs 50 lakh—Rs 10
lakh for each project—to provide more employment
opportunities and boost the local economy. The task has
been assigned to consultants placed by the Ministry of
Home Affairs under the Aspirational Districts Programme.
Currently, various farmers’ and self-help groups are being
interviewed to understand the most preferred livelihood
Major job categories and percentage of migrants employed under the same
Skill Mapping and Job Standardization
The migrants registered themselves under more than fifty
job roles, grouped under eleven major categories:
Major Job Categories
Computers & Mobile, 112, 0%
Construction, 7516, 28%
Data Entry & IT, 319, 1%
Fabrics & Handicrafts, 2389, 9%
Home & Electronics, 1339, 5%
Metal & Wood Work, 1708, 6%
Automobile, 1083, 4%
Migrant Workers,
9738, 36%
Others, 988, 4%
Sales & Delivery,
576, 2%
Personal Services,
1287, 5%
Bihar
30 options that can be taken up using local resources. Initial
survey results revealed agriculture to be the top category,
with more than 70% of Aurangabad’s population engaged
in it. Handicrafts and handlooms have been identified as
the second most preferable sector, with carpet-making a
major craft practised in the district for centuries. Given the
prevalence of forest-based activities in the district, the
production of eco-friendly goods is another potential
income-generating area. Business plans will be developed
for the same to ensure that the developed industries can
sustain for a long period of time.
Garib Kalyan Rojgar Yojana
Under the Garib Kalyan Rojgar Yojana, the district received
a target of providing 25,13,348 employment-generating
days. As much as Rs 89.82 crore has been spent to create
infrastructure ranging from Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak
Yojana roads, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana houses,
community sanitary complexes, water conservation and
harvesting works, farm ponds, cattle sheds, etc.
Job MelaBased on job profiles and initial surveys regarding job demands, the GM District Industries Centre organized a job mela on 11 June 2020, where only local companies and job roles were offered. A total of thirty companies from the district took part, looking for suitable candidates, and offering salary in the range of Rs 6,000–18,000.
Livelihood Projects
The Aurangabad District Administration is also developing
five livelihood projects—after conducting a background
analysis—with a total investment of Rs 50 lakh—Rs 10
lakh for each project—to provide more employment
opportunities and boost the local economy. The task has
been assigned to consultants placed by the Ministry of
Home Affairs under the Aspirational Districts Programme.
Currently, various farmers’ and self-help groups are being
interviewed to understand the most preferred livelihood
Sangh (Sagar Jeevika Women CLF), Abadpur, Barsoi Block,
Katihar.
Within the first few months of its commencement, JYPSSK
Abadpur proved successful—it served very well to the local
youth. Village- and tola- or mohalla-based youth
mobilization drives were organized to take this initiative to
people’s doorsteps—the effort was named ‘Jeevika Aapke
Dwar’.
With the lockdown, all activities were suspended for a
while; however, the crisis presented an opportunity to serve
poor families with renewed energy. JYPSSK extended its
support and supplemented the efforts of other Jeevika
initiatives as well—from inclusion of poor households in
self-help groups’ (SHG) fold to skill mapping, counselling,
capacity building of other cadres, etc.
With a steady stream of migrants making its way back
home, the Kendra manned by few cadres, including a Job
Resource Person (JRP), started visiting the homes of
migrant workers to mobilize them, especially women, to
join the SHGs.
This exercise of reaching out to migrant worker households
continued at nearby quarantine centres too. The Kendra
also started to work on the skill and need assessment of
migrant workers. Many households were also provided
supplementary loans, after a careful process of need
assessment and micro-planning with the support of
JYPSSK, to enhance and expand already running micro
enterprises.
Intensifying and replicating these activities, seven more
JYPSSKs were started in different parts of the district.
Five clusters were identified, and financial support
extended through the district innovation fund.
Among these initiatives, the Jeevika Yuva Paramarsh Sah
Sansaadhan Kendra—a centre for employment- and
income-generating activities by counselling the district’s
youth and providing resources to support them—is
noteworthy.
JYPSSK is an example of how a simple, community-based
initiative can turn into a beacon of hope for migrant
workers in distress.
The Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society (BRLPS)
or Jeevika, an ambitious programme of the state
government, has been relentlessly working in the district
towards eradicating poverty in the rural areas by
empowering women and creating livelihood opportunities
for poor households.
Beginning with capacity building and skill development,
Jeevika facilitates self-help groups’ members to opt for
different livelihood activities and continues to handhold
women and their households to grow financially strong and
independent. Jeevika’s different livelihood interventions
came in handy during the pandemic to support migrant
workers. The initiative is in line with the Prime Minister’s
vision of an Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
It was started under the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen
Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY), to impart skill
development and capacity building to aspiring
entrepreneurs, particularly women and youth. Run under
the guidance of the local cluster-level federation (CLF),
JYPSSK was started at Sagar Jeevika Mahila Sankul Stareey
KATIHAR: Jeevika Yuva Paramarsh Sah Sansaadhan Kendra Initiative
Around one lakh migrant workers returned home to
Katihar District—the second highest in Bihar—since the
lockdown began. A focused strategy was devised by the
district administration to track down those who came back,
conduct medical check-ups, and offer livelihood
opportunities using local resources. Skill mapping, noting
workers’ previous work experience, areas of interest, etc.
were done, followed by job counselling, and provision of
loans for start-ups through various camps. Some were
registered on the National Career Service (NCS) portal.
Bihar
31 Sangh (Sagar Jeevika Women CLF), Abadpur, Barsoi Block,
Katihar.
Within the first few months of its commencement, JYPSSK
Abadpur proved successful—it served very well to the local
youth. Village- and tola- or mohalla-based youth
mobilization drives were organized to take this initiative to
people’s doorsteps—the effort was named ‘Jeevika Aapke
Dwar’.
With the lockdown, all activities were suspended for a
while; however, the crisis presented an opportunity to serve
poor families with renewed energy. JYPSSK extended its
support and supplemented the efforts of other Jeevika
initiatives as well—from inclusion of poor households in
self-help groups’ (SHG) fold to skill mapping, counselling,
capacity building of other cadres, etc.
With a steady stream of migrants making its way back
home, the Kendra manned by few cadres, including a Job
Resource Person (JRP), started visiting the homes of
migrant workers to mobilize them, especially women, to
join the SHGs.
This exercise of reaching out to migrant worker households
continued at nearby quarantine centres too. The Kendra
also started to work on the skill and need assessment of
migrant workers. Many households were also provided
supplementary loans, after a careful process of need
assessment and micro-planning with the support of
JYPSSK, to enhance and expand already running micro
enterprises.
Intensifying and replicating these activities, seven more
JYPSSKs were started in different parts of the district.
Five clusters were identified, and financial support
extended through the district innovation fund.
Among these initiatives, the Jeevika Yuva Paramarsh Sah
Sansaadhan Kendra—a centre for employment- and
income-generating activities by counselling the district’s
youth and providing resources to support them—is
noteworthy.
JYPSSK is an example of how a simple, community-based
initiative can turn into a beacon of hope for migrant
workers in distress.
The Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society (BRLPS)
or Jeevika, an ambitious programme of the state
government, has been relentlessly working in the district
towards eradicating poverty in the rural areas by
empowering women and creating livelihood opportunities
for poor households.
Beginning with capacity building and skill development,
Jeevika facilitates self-help groups’ members to opt for
different livelihood activities and continues to handhold
women and their households to grow financially strong and
independent. Jeevika’s different livelihood interventions
came in handy during the pandemic to support migrant
workers. The initiative is in line with the Prime Minister’s
vision of an Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
It was started under the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen
Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY), to impart skill
development and capacity building to aspiring
entrepreneurs, particularly women and youth. Run under
the guidance of the local cluster-level federation (CLF),
JYPSSK was started at Sagar Jeevika Mahila Sankul Stareey
KATIHAR: Jeevika Yuva Paramarsh Sah Sansaadhan Kendra Initiative
Around one lakh migrant workers returned home to
Katihar District—the second highest in Bihar—since the
lockdown began. A focused strategy was devised by the
district administration to track down those who came back,
conduct medical check-ups, and offer livelihood
opportunities using local resources. Skill mapping, noting
workers’ previous work experience, areas of interest, etc.
were done, followed by job counselling, and provision of
loans for start-ups through various camps. Some were
registered on the National Career Service (NCS) portal.
Bihar
32 Sangh (Sagar Jeevika Women CLF), Abadpur, Barsoi Block,
Katihar.
Within the first few months of its commencement, JYPSSK
Abadpur proved successful—it served very well to the local
youth. Village- and tola- or mohalla-based youth
mobilization drives were organized to take this initiative to
people’s doorsteps—the effort was named ‘Jeevika Aapke
Dwar’.
With the lockdown, all activities were suspended for a
while; however, the crisis presented an opportunity to serve
poor families with renewed energy. JYPSSK extended its
support and supplemented the efforts of other Jeevika
initiatives as well—from inclusion of poor households in
self-help groups’ (SHG) fold to skill mapping, counselling,
capacity building of other cadres, etc.
With a steady stream of migrants making its way back
home, the Kendra manned by few cadres, including a Job
Resource Person (JRP), started visiting the homes of
migrant workers to mobilize them, especially women, to
join the SHGs.
This exercise of reaching out to migrant worker households
continued at nearby quarantine centres too. The Kendra
also started to work on the skill and need assessment of
migrant workers. Many households were also provided
supplementary loans, after a careful process of need
assessment and micro-planning with the support of
JYPSSK, to enhance and expand already running micro
enterprises.
Intensifying and replicating these activities, seven more
JYPSSKs were started in different parts of the district.
Five clusters were identified, and financial support extended through the district innovation fund.
Among these initiatives, the Jeevika Yuva Paramarsh Sah
Sansaadhan Kendra—a centre for employment- and
income-generating activities by counselling the district’s
youth and providing resources to support them—is
noteworthy.
JYPSSK is an example of how a simple, community-based
initiative can turn into a beacon of hope for migrant
workers in distress.
The Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society (BRLPS)
or Jeevika, an ambitious programme of the state
government, has been relentlessly working in the district
towards eradicating poverty in the rural areas by
empowering women and creating livelihood opportunities
for poor households.
Beginning with capacity building and skill development,
Jeevika facilitates self-help groups’ members to opt for
different livelihood activities and continues to handhold
women and their households to grow financially strong and
independent. Jeevika’s different livelihood interventions
came in handy during the pandemic to support migrant
workers. The initiative is in line with the Prime Minister’s
vision of an Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
It was started under the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen
Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY), to impart skill
development and capacity building to aspiring
entrepreneurs, particularly women and youth. Run under
the guidance of the local cluster-level federation (CLF),
JYPSSK was started at Sagar Jeevika Mahila Sankul Stareey
KATIHAR: Jeevika Yuva Paramarsh Sah Sansaadhan
Kendra Initiative
Around one lakh migrant workers returned home to
Katihar District—the second highest in Bihar—since the
lockdown began. A focused strategy was devised by the
district administration to track down those who came back,
conduct medical check-ups, and offer livelihood
opportunities using local resources. Skill mapping, noting
workers’ previous work experience, areas of interest, etc.
were done, followed by job counselling, and provision of
loans for start-ups through various camps. Some were
registered on the National Career Service (NCS) portal.
Bihar
33 Migrant workers at quarantine centres were registered on
the Kaushal Panjee portal of the Ministry of Rural
Development. Support was provided for accessing online
classes initiated by many project implementing agencies
(PIAs) of Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya
Yojana (DDUGKY) for maintaining regularity, building
confidence and motivating under-training or trained or
placed youths. JYPSSKs have emerged as a bridge between
trainees and PIAs. JYPSSKs’ teams telephonically
connected with migrant workers stranded out of state and
provided the needful support in applying through the
Bihar Corona Sahayata Mobile App to avail of emergency
assistance of Rs 1,000.
In different blocks of Katihar, different livelihood clusters
with producer groups for goatery, bamboo crafts, jute
crafts, protective masks, honey production, mushroom
production have been set up. Many migrant workers’
families were provided loans to start different activities such
as fishery, piggery, household dairy and agriculture-related
works, and running shops.
These immediate steps though JYPSSKs were helpful in
providing the much-needed support to families of migrant
workers and reviving their confidence levels.
Bihar
34 pattal-making units, was encouraged. Opportunities in
agri-business and allied sectors were explored with BRLPS,
Jamui. Opportunities of convergence and collaboration
between different departments, such as agriculture,
horticulture, dairying, were explored and how the local
market could be tapped into to sell the produce.
For the revival of traditional crops, the cultivation of finger
millets (maduwa) and kodo was taken up in the most
backward and tribal belts of Jamui. Around 180 farmers
have been identified for the project. Priority for plantation
projects—including the development of mango, teak, wood,
etc., on individual or a group’s land—of the Forest Division
and MGNREGA is being given to people belonging to
ST/SC communities, from the most backward and affected
blocks of Jamui.
In order to develop and make a district self-reliant, it is
important to work towards creating sustainable
opportunities, to focus on its overall economic, social, and
environmental well-being. The Jamui administration is
working very hard towards generating enough livelihood
opportunities for its people so the need for migration is
reduced.
Jamui, in South Bihar, is one of the most backward and
Left-Wing-Extremism-affected districts of the country.
To make matters worse, it is annually hit by drought.
Employment opportunities in the organized sector of the
district is minimal. Most of the workforce is employed on
contract or given daily wages. Due to limited prospects,
workers migrate to different states.
With Covid-19, as people started coming back, the Jamui
administration undertook various initiatives to cater to the
migrant population. MGNREGA’s ‘Aavedan Patra’ was
coloured in two shades—white for the general population
and yellow for migrants. This helped in distinguishing those
who had returned and were being engaged in MGNREGA
activities.
To develop more employment opportunities within the
district, three clusters—tailoring, carpentry and
slipper-making—were identified after skill mapping.
Keeping in mind the PM’s vision of an Aatmanirbhar
Bharat, the setting up of innovative start-ups, small- and
medium-sector businesses supported through credit linkages
were encouraged. Special focus was laid on training women
for starting business ventures. The district administration,
through awareness camps, invited applications for
innovative start-ups, with priority given to ideas that could
generate employment opportunities for returned migrants
and use local resources to boost the economy.
To protect the most vulnerable sections—tribal
communities living on fringes of forested areas—of Jamui,
the manufacturing of non-timber forest produce, such as
JAMUI: Creating Employment Opportunities for
Returned Migrants
Bihar
35 Saplings provided to tribal belts for the plantation of mango, teak, etc.
pattal-making units, was encouraged. Opportunities in
agri-business and allied sectors were explored with BRLPS,
Jamui. Opportunities of convergence and collaboration
between different departments, such as agriculture,
horticulture, dairying, were explored and how the local
market could be tapped into to sell the produce.
For the revival of traditional crops, the cultivation of finger
millets (maduwa) and kodo was taken up in the most
backward and tribal belts of Jamui. Around 180 farmers
have been identified for the project. Priority for plantation
projects—including the development of mango, teak, wood,
etc., on individual or a group’s land—of the Forest Division
and MGNREGA is being given to people belonging to
ST/SC communities, from the most backward and affected
blocks of Jamui.
In order to develop and make a district self-reliant, it is
important to work towards creating sustainable
opportunities, to focus on its overall economic, social, and
environmental well-being. The Jamui administration is
working very hard towards generating enough livelihood
opportunities for its people so the need for migration is
reduced.
Jamui, in South Bihar, is one of the most backward and Left-Wing-Extremism-affected districts of the country.
To make matters worse, it is annually hit by drought.
Employment opportunities in the organized sector of the
district is minimal. Most of the workforce is employed on
contract or given daily wages. Due to limited prospects,
workers migrate to different states.
With Covid-19, as people started coming back, the Jamui
administration undertook various initiatives to cater to the
migrant population. MGNREGA’s ‘Aavedan Patra’ was
coloured in two shades—white for the general population
and yellow for migrants. This helped in distinguishing those
who had returned and were being engaged in MGNREGA
activities.
To develop more employment opportunities within the
district, three clusters—tailoring, carpentry and
slipper-making—were identified after skill mapping.
Keeping in mind the PM’s vision of an Aatmanirbhar
Bharat, the setting up of innovative start-ups, small- and
medium-sector businesses supported through credit linkages
were encouraged. Special focus was laid on training women
for starting business ventures. The district administration,
through awareness camps, invited applications for
innovative start-ups, with priority given to ideas that could
generate employment opportunities for returned migrants
and use local resources to boost the economy.
To protect the most vulnerable sections—tribal
communities living on fringes of forested areas—of Jamui,
the manufacturing of non-timber forest produce, such as
Bihar
36 partnering with JSLPS, Skill Mission, industrial
conglomerates (FICCI, Jharkhand Small Scale Industries’
Association, Khadi Gram Udyog, MSME associations) and
civil society organizations working on skill development.
The Government of Jharkhand seeks to extend the
programme and expand its mandate in the following ways:
i) Responsible migration
In the future, the State Control Room would be required to
expand its mandate as a helpdesk and helpline for migrants
alone, and become a more established people-facing interface
for workers within Jharkhand, as well as those who migrate
to other places to find work. So, in the next two years, the
State Control Room will bifurcate its mandate to address
two pertinent issues:
• It will form an exclusive Coronavirus State Control
Room to address the growing need for a
community-facing interactive interface.
• The Migrant Control Room will expand its current
mandate to address legal and other advisory issues.
An MoU has been signed between the PHIA Foundation
and the Department of Labour and Employment, Training,
Government of Jharkhand, to ensure better employment
opportunities for the most vulnerable tribal and Dalit
communities that are prone to distress migration and
trafficking. It will further ensure the flow of information
between the source and destination about employment
opportunities and safeguard policies, gender equality, social
security schemes of the government, etc.
ii) Institutional engagement between the State
Government (Department of Labour, Employment,
people working across sectors, from clothing and
construction to defence, fisheries and others. Several cases of
abuse and atrocity, especially in the textile, tourism, and
fishing industries, also came to light. Most of the migrant
workers who reached out to the Control Room were
semi-skilled and unskilled daily wagers without any social
security net or community-based protection. Many lost their
jobs in the wake of the lockdown and were unable to pay
rent or buy food.
Several pregnant women also requested and received
medical aid. In multiple instances, employers reportedly
bullied female migrant workers, denied their wages or
amenities like food, or actively imprisoned, threatened, and
hit them to continue working and not leave. Extreme cases
of sexual violence and modern-day slavery also came to light.
These cases indicated a strong intersectional effect—people
from lower-income backgrounds, especially with a
scheduled or primitive tribes’ background, being more likely
to be in skewed, oppressive, slavery-like conditions. Many of
them work risky jobs, operate heavy machinery, are paid
minimum amounts, have no benefits, hazard-pay, etc., or
access to healthcare. Few of such cases of atrocities and
maltreatments were reported and solved. This alone
highlights an urgent need for policy intervention and civil
society partnerships.
The State Control Room is now involved in the process of
individual skill mapping and facilitating safe migration for
all those who seek to find work beyond Jharkhand. The
Government of Jharkhand is developing a system to
document migrant workers’ details, which include skill
mapping, place of employment (destination), and place of
origin. In addition to this, the Department of Labour,
Employment, and Training, Government of Jharkhand, is
Jharkhand State Control Room: A Case Study
for Facilitating Migrant Registration and Skill
Mapping
As seen with Bihar earlier, Jharkhand too faced a massive
challenge in supporting its people, who were stranded across
the country during Covid-19 lockdown. The Jharkhand
State Control Room—which evolved from a helpline to a
helpdesk, travel registration, and skill mapping
interface—has proven to be singularly successful in helping
the state locate its migrant population, register them, and
provide them with the required aid. By leveraging digital
technology and civil society networks, the Control Room
managed to register almost 1.05 million migrants who
requested support. It collaborated with a technical support
team at IIIT Bengaluru for technological solutions and data
analysis.
A series of tools, including two portals—Jharkhand
helpdesk and Jharkhand Pravasi Return—and one
Mukhyamantri Sahayta app, was created in the last few
months as a part of the efforts.
From March to July 2020, the Control Room received cases
from all parts of the country, including remote areas such as
Ladakh and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and from
pattal-making units, was encouraged. Opportunities in agri-business and allied sectors were explored with BRLPS, Jamui. Opportunities of convergence and collaboration between different departments, such as agriculture, horticulture, dairying, were explored and how the local market could be tapped into to sell the produce.
For the revival of traditional crops, the cultivation of finger
millets (maduwa) and kodo was taken up in the most
backward and tribal belts of Jamui. Around 180 farmers
have been identified for the project. Priority for plantation
projects—including the development of mango, teak, wood,
etc., on individual or a group’s land—of the Forest Division
and MGNREGA is being given to people belonging to
ST/SC communities, from the most backward and affected
blocks of Jamui.
In order to develop and make a district self-reliant, it is
important to work towards creating sustainable
opportunities, to focus on its overall economic, social, and
environmental well-being. The Jamui administration is
working very hard towards generating enough livelihood
opportunities for its people so the need for migration is
reduced.
Jamui, in South Bihar, is one of the most backward and
Left-Wing-Extremism-affected districts of the country.
To make matters worse, it is annually hit by drought.
Employment opportunities in the organized sector of the
district is minimal. Most of the workforce is employed on
contract or given daily wages. Due to limited prospects,
workers migrate to different states.
With Covid-19, as people started coming back, the Jamui
administration undertook various initiatives to cater to the
migrant population. MGNREGA’s ‘Aavedan Patra’ was
coloured in two shades—white for the general population
and yellow for migrants. This helped in distinguishing those
who had returned and were being engaged in MGNREGA
activities.
To develop more employment opportunities within the
district, three clusters—tailoring, carpentry and
slipper-making—were identified after skill mapping.
Keeping in mind the PM’s vision of an Aatmanirbhar
Bharat, the setting up of innovative start-ups, small- and
medium-sector businesses supported through credit linkages
were encouraged. Special focus was laid on training women
for starting business ventures. The district administration,
through awareness camps, invited applications for
innovative start-ups, with priority given to ideas that could
generate employment opportunities for returned migrants
and use local resources to boost the economy.
To protect the most vulnerable sections—tribal
communities living on fringes of forested areas—of Jamui,
the manufacturing of non-timber forest produce, such as
37
Jharkhand partnering with JSLPS, Skill Mission, industrial
conglomerates (FICCI, Jharkhand Small Scale Industries’
Association, Khadi Gram Udyog, MSME associations) and
civil society organizations working on skill development.
The Government of Jharkhand seeks to extend the
programme and expand its mandate in the following ways:
i) Responsible migration
In the future, the State Control Room would be required to
expand its mandate as a helpdesk and helpline for migrants
alone, and become a more established people-facing interface
for workers within Jharkhand, as well as those who migrate
to other places to find work. So, in the next two years, the
State Control Room will bifurcate its mandate to address
two pertinent issues:
• It will form an exclusive Coronavirus State Control
Room to address the growing need for a
community-facing interactive interface.
• The Migrant Control Room will expand its current
mandate to address legal and other advisory issues.
An MoU has been signed between the PHIA Foundation
and the Department of Labour and Employment, Training,
Government of Jharkhand, to ensure better employment
opportunities for the most vulnerable tribal and Dalit
communities that are prone to distress migration and
trafficking. It will further ensure the flow of information
between the source and destination about employment
opportunities and safeguard policies, gender equality, social
security schemes of the government, etc.
ii) Institutional engagement between the State
Government (Department of Labour, Employment,
people working across sectors, from clothing and
construction to defence, fisheries and others. Several cases of
abuse and atrocity, especially in the textile, tourism, and
fishing industries, also came to light. Most of the migrant
workers who reached out to the Control Room were
semi-skilled and unskilled daily wagers without any social
security net or community-based protection. Many lost their
jobs in the wake of the lockdown and were unable to pay
rent or buy food.
Several pregnant women also requested and received
medical aid. In multiple instances, employers reportedly
bullied female migrant workers, denied their wages or
amenities like food, or actively imprisoned, threatened, and
hit them to continue working and not leave. Extreme cases
of sexual violence and modern-day slavery also came to light.
These cases indicated a strong intersectional effect—people
from lower-income backgrounds, especially with a
scheduled or primitive tribes’ background, being more likely
to be in skewed, oppressive, slavery-like conditions. Many of
them work risky jobs, operate heavy machinery, are paid
minimum amounts, have no benefits, hazard-pay, etc., or
access to healthcare. Few of such cases of atrocities and
maltreatments were reported and solved. This alone
highlights an urgent need for policy intervention and civil
society partnerships.
The State Control Room is now involved in the process of
individual skill mapping and facilitating safe migration for
all those who seek to find work beyond Jharkhand. The
Government of Jharkhand is developing a system to
document migrant workers’ details, which include skill
mapping, place of employment (destination), and place of
origin. In addition to this, the Department of Labour,
Employment, and Training, Government of Jharkhand, is
Jharkhand State Control Room: A Case Study
for Facilitating Migrant Registration and Skill
Mapping
As seen with Bihar earlier, Jharkhand too faced a massive
challenge in supporting its people, who were stranded across
the country during Covid-19 lockdown. The Jharkhand
State Control Room—which evolved from a helpline to a
helpdesk, travel registration, and skill mapping
interface—has proven to be singularly successful in helping
the state locate its migrant population, register them, and
provide them with the required aid. By leveraging digital
technology and civil society networks, the Control Room
managed to register almost 1.05 million migrants who
requested support. It collaborated with a technical support
team at IIIT Bengaluru for technological solutions and data
analysis.
A series of tools, including two portals—Jharkhand
helpdesk and Jharkhand Pravasi Return—and one
Mukhyamantri Sahayta app, was created in the last few
months as a part of the efforts.
From March to July 2020, the Control Room received cases
from all parts of the country, including remote areas such as
Ladakh and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and from
Jharkhand
38 partnering with JSLPS, Skill Mission, industrial
conglomerates (FICCI, Jharkhand Small Scale Industries’
Association, Khadi Gram Udyog, MSME associations) and
civil society organizations working on skill development.
The Government of Jharkhand seeks to extend the
programme and expand its mandate in the following ways:
i) Responsible migration
In the future, the State Control Room would be required to
expand its mandate as a helpdesk and helpline for migrants
alone, and become a more established people-facing interface
for workers within Jharkhand, as well as those who migrate
to other places to find work. So, in the next two years, the
State Control Room will bifurcate its mandate to address
two pertinent issues:
• It will form an exclusive Coronavirus State Control
Room to address the growing need for a
community-facing interactive interface.
• The Migrant Control Room will expand its current
mandate to address legal and other advisory issues.
An MoU has been signed between the PHIA Foundation
and the Department of Labour and Employment, Training,
Government of Jharkhand, to ensure better employment
opportunities for the most vulnerable tribal and Dalit
communities that are prone to distress migration and
trafficking. It will further ensure the flow of information
between the source and destination about employment
opportunities and safeguard policies, gender equality, social
security schemes of the government, etc.
ii) Institutional engagement between the State
Government (Department of Labour, Employment,
people working across sectors, from clothing and
construction to defence, fisheries and others. Several cases of
abuse and atrocity, especially in the textile, tourism, and
fishing industries, also came to light. Most of the migrant
workers who reached out to the Control Room were
semi-skilled and unskilled daily wagers without any social
security net or community-based protection. Many lost their
jobs in the wake of the lockdown and were unable to pay
rent or buy food.
Several pregnant women also requested and received
medical aid. In multiple instances, employers reportedly
bullied female migrant workers, denied their wages or
amenities like food, or actively imprisoned, threatened, and
hit them to continue working and not leave. Extreme cases
of sexual violence and modern-day slavery also came to light.
These cases indicated a strong intersectional effect—people
from lower-income backgrounds, especially with a
scheduled or primitive tribes’ background, being more likely
to be in skewed, oppressive, slavery-like conditions. Many of
them work risky jobs, operate heavy machinery, are paid
minimum amounts, have no benefits, hazard-pay, etc., or
access to healthcare. Few of such cases of atrocities and
maltreatments were reported and solved. This alone
highlights an urgent need for policy intervention and civil
society partnerships.
The State Control Room is now involved in the process of
individual skill mapping and facilitating safe migration for
all those who seek to find work beyond Jharkhand. The
Government of Jharkhand is developing a system to
document migrant workers’ details, which include skill
mapping, place of employment (destination), and place of
origin. In addition to this, the Department of Labour,
Employment, and Training, Government of Jharkhand, is
Jharkhand State Control Room: A Case Study
for Facilitating Migrant Registration and Skill
Mapping
As seen with Bihar earlier, Jharkhand too faced a massive
challenge in supporting its people, who were stranded across
the country during Covid-19 lockdown. The Jharkhand
State Control Room—which evolved from a helpline to a
helpdesk, travel registration, and skill mapping
interface—has proven to be singularly successful in helping
the state locate its migrant population, register them, and
provide them with the required aid. By leveraging digital
technology and civil society networks, the Control Room
managed to register almost 1.05 million migrants who
requested support. It collaborated with a technical support
team at IIIT Bengaluru for technological solutions and data
analysis.
A series of tools, including two portals—Jharkhand
helpdesk and Jharkhand Pravasi Return—and one
Mukhyamantri Sahayta app, was created in the last few
months as a part of the efforts.
From March to July 2020, the Control Room received cases
from all parts of the country, including remote areas such as
Ladakh and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and from
Jharkhand
39 Jharkhand
40
and Training) and Border Road Organization (BRO)
for facilitation of workforce for BRO projects in
specific states and union territories.
A similar engagement is being institutionalized through the
establishment of district facilitation centres between the
state and employers to ensure safe migration and
implementation of labour codes.
iii) Registration of employer/establishment under the
Building and Other Construction Workers’
(Regulation of Employment and Conditions of
Service) Act, 1996
Livelihood Generation: Additionally, to ensure better lives
of workers in Jharkhand, the state government has launched
three schemes to boost rural employment:
1. Birsa Harit Gram Yojana for rural plantations:
This scheme aims to use over two lakh acres of unused fallow
government land for afforestation. Around five lakh families
will be given 100 fruit-bearing plants, and the initial
plantation, maintenance, land work, and afforestation
works will be taken up through MNREGA.
2. Neelambar Pitambar Jal Sammridhi Yojana for water
conservation:
Neelambar Pitambar Jal Sammridhi Yojana is aimed at water
conservation, groundwater recharging, creation of
agro-water storage units to store rain-water and runaway
groundwater. This would create long-term employment and
community assets.
3. Poto Ho Khel Vikas Scheme for making playgrounds Figure 3: Terms of refrence signed
betweenBoarder Road Organization and
Ministry of Defence
Figure 4: Chief Minister sending
migrants under BRO project
Figure 1: State Control room work Figure 2: MOU signed for Responsible
Facilitation Centre
Seeking to link sports with rural job schemes, Poto Ho Khel
Vikas Scheme hopes to create assets in rural areas and boost
sports. Around 5,000 sports grounds are being planned to
be set up, with one each in the 4,300 panchayats.
Recent initiatives in Jharkhand have led to efficient and
informed governance and helped alleviate the issues faced
by unorganized sector workers and migrant returnees.
Jharkhand
41 Jharkhand
42 required to increase planation drives on public lands, parks,
near banks of rivers and water bodies. Sanitation is another
major area that requires a lot of focus, especially during the
monsoons.
2. Integrated Skill Portal for Migrant Workers
A common database portal has been prepared for skill
mapping; the portal is being modified for integration with
prospective job employers. So far, skill mapping for 9 lakh
migrant workers has been completed.
3. Various other key interventions have been undertaken at
the district level, which have set new standards in the
system. The details of such interventions/best practices are
as follows:
Just like other states, Odisha too undertook various
initiatives to address challenges thrown by the
Covid-19 pandemic and ensure upskilling and engaging of
returned migrant workers.
1. Urban Wage Employment Initiative (UWEI)
Around one-third of the urban population in the state have
been badly hit by the raging pandemic—many have lost
their jobs or been laid off. To tackle the issue, the state
government has decided to provide daily wage jobs to
workers in the informal sector, which has ensured that the
urban poor gets income through immediate employment.
The Urban Wage Employment Initiative has been
implemented in all the 114 urban local bodies (ULBs) of
the state; a budget of Rs 100 crore has been allocated to it
under Unnati and Jaga Mission.
Under this scheme, temporary jobs at urban local bodies
have been identified and allocated to the urban poor—a
step that will also simultaneously support monsoon
preparedness and creation of public asset and maintenance
in these units by generating employment opportunities in
the fields of rain-water harvesting, sanitation, community
centre and open space development, increasing green cover
and beautifying urban areas. Additionally, efforts are
43
Odisha CUTTACK: Project Lakshmi
Cuttack administration’s Lakshmi (Livelihood
Advancement Through Knowledge Self-help and Modern
Initiative) seeks to generate self- and wage employment.
The district magistrate has provided block-wise list of
migrant construction workers to the district employment
exchange.
So far, Z-Estate (CREDAI), NHAI, L&T, and East Coast
Railway have been contacted to conduct job drives for
migrant construction workers, for the potential posts of
masons, electricians, welders, plumbers, painters,
carpenters, blacksmiths, barbinders, cutters,
roller-operators, truss workers, supervisors, helpers and
daily labourers.
required to increase planation drives on public lands, parks,
near banks of rivers and water bodies. Sanitation is another
major area that requires a lot of focus, especially during the
monsoons.
2. Integrated Skill Portal for Migrant Workers
A common database portal has been prepared for skill
mapping; the portal is being modified for integration with
prospective job employers. So far, skill mapping for 9 lakh
migrant workers has been completed.
3. Various other key interventions have been undertaken at
the district level, which have set new standards in the
system. The details of such interventions/best practices are
as follows:
Just like other states, Odisha too undertook various initiatives to address challenges thrown by the Covid-19 pandemic and ensure upskilling and engaging of returned migrant workers.
1. Urban Wage Employment Initiative (UWEI)
Around one-third of the urban population in the state have
been badly hit by the raging pandemic—many have lost
their jobs or been laid off. To tackle the issue, the state
government has decided to provide daily wage jobs to
workers in the informal sector, which has ensured that the
urban poor gets income through immediate employment.
The Urban Wage Employment Initiative has been
implemented in all the 114 urban local bodies (ULBs) of
the state; a budget of Rs 100 crore has been allocated to it
under Unnati and Jaga Mission.
Under this scheme, temporary jobs at urban local bodies
have been identified and allocated to the urban poor—a
step that will also simultaneously support monsoon
preparedness and creation of public asset and maintenance
in these units by generating employment opportunities in
the fields of rain-water harvesting, sanitation, community
centre and open space development, increasing green cover
and beautifying urban areas. Additionally, efforts are
Odisha
44 DHENKANAL: Project Thaithan
A special reengagement drive for returned migrant workers,
Project Thaithan has been planned to be conducted in eight
blocks.
Apart from these, the Dhenkanal District Administration
has also undertaken the following initiatives.
(a) Engagement of unskilled and skilled migrant workers in
MGNREGS work.
(b) Engagement of unskilled and skilled migrant workers in
PMAY-G (rural housing construction work).
(c) Registration of interested migrants under BOCW
(Building and Construction Worker) scheme to extend
its benefits.
(d) Instruction by GM, RIC and LDM, Dhenkanal, to
banks of the district to extend financial loan to support
Covid-19 returnees for self-employment and
Odisha
45 entrepreneurship development under the Aatmanirbhar
Bharat scheme.
(e) Support loan of Rs 10,000 each to interested returned
migrants who want to start working as street vendors.
Odisha
46 Skill Mapping/Creating a Unique Database Platform of
Workers/Employers
1. Karnataka Skill Development Corporation (KSDC)
established Kaushalkar.com, through which the
Department personally contacted almost 41,700
returned migrants to inquire if they required jobs or
skill training to get employed. As many as 1,658 with
work experience sought employment and 3,556 sought
skill training.
2. KSDC was also successful in bringing back 32
distressed migrants from Saudi Arabia, who were stuck
there due to expiry of their employment visa. Suitable
job opportunities were also assured to these workers.
3. To boost employment among migrant workers, KSDC
contacted industry associations such as Karnataka
Small Scale Industries Association, Federation of
Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industries, and
similar organizations.
The Department of Labour, Government of Karnataka, in
collaboration with others—Revenue Department (Disaster
Management), Urban Development Department,
Bengaluru Bruhat Mahanagara Palike, Department of
Factories, Boilers, Industrial Safety and Health, Karnataka
State Road Transport Corporation, Railways and
E-Governance—put together various initiatives for migrant
workers and their families.
Livelihood Generation
1. A portal called Dasoha was created where food requests
were registered, tracked and carried out. A 24x7 hunger
helpline was also established for migrant workers.
Prompt distribution of food was done by the
Department whenever a request was made through the
helpline.
2. For transportation of migrant labourers to other states,
an online portal, Seva Sindhu, was launched, where
workers could register themselves to travel in Shramik
trains. Once a message was received, transportation
arrangements were made for the migrants to be sent to
the concerned railway stations to board the trains to
their home states.
3. Help desks were set up in all the migrant camps and
wards, and local bodies organized widespread
announcements informing them about the same.
Rojgar Setu: Portal for Migrant Labourers for
Permanent Employment in the State
I. Survey of Migrant Workers
• A survey was conducted of migrant labourers, who
were original residents of Madhya Pradesh and
returned to the state on or after 1 March 2020 from
other states. The survey was completed by 6 June.
• As many as 7,30,311 migrants labourers had come
back to MP. Along with their families, the number
of returned migrant labourers stood at 13,10,186.
• Skill mapping was done in more than 100 trades
during the survey conducted.
II. Rojgar Setu Portal
With a view to provide employment opportunities to all
those who had returned home, the state government
launched the Rojgar Setu portal on 10 June.
Employers and employment suppliers can register
themselves on the portal to search for eligible employees
among the data of migrant workers uploaded by the district
administration.
The portal also monitors the provision of ration to families
of migrant labourers under the National Food Safety Act
47
Madhya Pradesh Skill Mapping/Creating a Unique Database Platform of
Workers/Employers
1. Karnataka Skill Development Corporation (KSDC)
established Kaushalkar.com, through which the
Department personally contacted almost 41,700
returned migrants to inquire if they required jobs or
skill training to get employed. As many as 1,658 with
work experience sought employment and 3,556 sought
skill training.
2. KSDC was also successful in bringing back 32
distressed migrants from Saudi Arabia, who were stuck
there due to expiry of their employment visa. Suitable
job opportunities were also assured to these workers.
3. To boost employment among migrant workers, KSDC
contacted industry associations such as Karnataka
Small Scale Industries Association, Federation of
Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industries, and
similar organizations.
The Department of Labour, Government of Karnataka, in
collaboration with others—Revenue Department (Disaster
Management), Urban Development Department,
Bengaluru Bruhat Mahanagara Palike, Department of
Factories, Boilers, Industrial Safety and Health, Karnataka
State Road Transport Corporation, Railways and
E-Governance—put together various initiatives for migrant
workers and their families.
Livelihood Generation
1. A portal called Dasoha was created where food requests
were registered, tracked and carried out. A 24x7 hunger
helpline was also established for migrant workers.
Prompt distribution of food was done by the
Department whenever a request was made through the
helpline.
2. For transportation of migrant labourers to other states,
an online portal, Seva Sindhu, was launched, where
workers could register themselves to travel in Shramik
trains. Once a message was received, transportation
arrangements were made for the migrants to be sent to
the concerned railway stations to board the trains to
their home states.
3. Help desks were set up in all the migrant camps and
wards, and local bodies organized widespread
announcements informing them about the same.
Rojgar Setu: Portal for Migrant Labourers for
Permanent Employment in the State
I. Survey of Migrant Workers
• A survey was conducted of migrant labourers, who
were original residents of Madhya Pradesh and
returned to the state on or after 1 March 2020 from
other states. The survey was completed by 6 June.
• As many as 7,30,311 migrants labourers had come
back to MP. Along with their families, the number
of returned migrant labourers stood at 13,10,186.
• Skill mapping was done in more than 100 trades
during the survey conducted.
II. Rojgar Setu Portal
With a view to provide employment opportunities to all
those who had returned home, the state government
launched the Rojgar Setu portal on 10 June.
Employers and employment suppliers can register
themselves on the portal to search for eligible employees
among the data of migrant workers uploaded by the district
administration.
The portal also monitors the provision of ration to families
of migrant labourers under the National Food Safety Act
Madhya Pradesh
48
and Aatmanirbhar Bharat Yojana. Apart from employment
opportunities and benefits of welfare schemes, the children
of migrant workers are also enrolled in schools. Skill Mapping/Creating a Unique Database Platform of
Workers/Employers
1. Karnataka Skill Development Corporation (KSDC)
established Kaushalkar.com, through which the
Department personally contacted almost 41,700
returned migrants to inquire if they required jobs or
skill training to get employed. As many as 1,658 with
work experience sought employment and 3,556 sought
skill training.
2. KSDC was also successful in bringing back 32
distressed migrants from Saudi Arabia, who were stuck
there due to expiry of their employment visa. Suitable
job opportunities were also assured to these workers.
3. To boost employment among migrant workers, KSDC
contacted industry associations such as Karnataka
Small Scale Industries Association, Federation of
Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industries, and
similar organizations.
The Department of Labour, Government of Karnataka, in
collaboration with others—Revenue Department (Disaster
Management), Urban Development Department,
Bengaluru Bruhat Mahanagara Palike, Department of
Factories, Boilers, Industrial Safety and Health, Karnataka
State Road Transport Corporation, Railways and
E-Governance—put together various initiatives for migrant
workers and their families.
Livelihood Generation
1. A portal called Dasoha was created where food requests
were registered, tracked and carried out. A 24x7 hunger
helpline was also established for migrant workers.
Prompt distribution of food was done by the
Department whenever a request was made through the
helpline.
2. For transportation of migrant labourers to other states,
an online portal, Seva Sindhu, was launched, where
workers could register themselves to travel in Shramik
trains. Once a message was received, transportation
arrangements were made for the migrants to be sent to
the concerned railway stations to board the trains to
their home states.
3. Help desks were set up in all the migrant camps and
wards, and local bodies organized widespread
announcements informing them about the same. Rojgar Setu: Portal for Migrant Labourers for
Permanent Employment in the State
I. Survey of Migrant Workers
• A survey was conducted of migrant labourers, who
were original residents of Madhya Pradesh and
returned to the state on or after 1 March 2020 from
other states. The survey was completed by 6 June.
• As many as 7,30,311 migrants labourers had come
back to MP. Along with their families, the number
of returned migrant labourers stood at 13,10,186.
• Skill mapping was done in more than 100 trades
during the survey conducted.
II. Rojgar Setu Portal
With a view to provide employment opportunities to all
those who had returned home, the state government
launched the Rojgar Setu portal on 10 June.
Employers and employment suppliers can register
themselves on the portal to search for eligible employees
among the data of migrant workers uploaded by the district
administration.
The portal also monitors the provision of ration to families
of migrant labourers under the National Food Safety Act
49
Karnataka Skill Mapping/Creating a Unique Database Platform of
Workers/Employers
1. Karnataka Skill Development Corporation (KSDC)
established Kaushalkar.com, through which the
Department personally contacted almost 41,700
returned migrants to inquire if they required jobs or
skill training to get employed. As many as 1,658 with
work experience sought employment and 3,556 sought
skill training.
2. KSDC was also successful in bringing back 32
distressed migrants from Saudi Arabia, who were stuck
there due to expiry of their employment visa. Suitable
job opportunities were also assured to these workers.
3. To boost employment among migrant workers, KSDC
contacted industry associations such as Karnataka
Small Scale Industries Association, Federation of
Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industries, and
similar organizations.
The Department of Labour, Government of Karnataka, in collaboration with others—Revenue Department (Disaster Management), Urban Development Department, Bengaluru Bruhat Mahanagara Palike, Department of Factories, Boilers, Industrial Safety and Health, Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation, Railways and E-Governance—put together various initiatives for migrant workers and their families.
Livelihood Generation
1. A portal called Dasoha was created where food requests
were registered, tracked and carried out. A 24x7 hunger helpline was also established for migrant workers. Prompt distribution of food was done by the Department whenever a request was made through the helpline.
2. For transportation of migrant labourers to other states,
an online portal, Seva Sindhu, was launched, where workers could register themselves to travel in Shramik trains. Once a message was received, transportation arrangements were made for the migrants to be sent to the concerned railway stations to board the trains to their home states.
3. Help desks were set up in all the migrant camps and
wards, and local bodies organized widespread announcements informing them about the same.
Rojgar Setu: Portal for Migrant Labourers for
Permanent Employment in the State
I. Survey of Migrant Workers
• A survey was conducted of migrant labourers, who
were original residents of Madhya Pradesh and
returned to the state on or after 1 March 2020 from
other states. The survey was completed by 6 June.
• As many as 7,30,311 migrants labourers had come
back to MP. Along with their families, the number
of returned migrant labourers stood at 13,10,186.
• Skill mapping was done in more than 100 trades
during the survey conducted.
II. Rojgar Setu Portal
With a view to provide employment opportunities to all
those who had returned home, the state government
launched the Rojgar Setu portal on 10 June.
Employers and employment suppliers can register
themselves on the portal to search for eligible employees
among the data of migrant workers uploaded by the district
administration.
The portal also monitors the provision of ration to families
of migrant labourers under the National Food Safety Act
Karnataka
50 51
Raj-Kaushal: Rajasthan Labour Employment
Exchange
Rajasthan government’s Raj-Kaushal portal not only has a
vast database of skilled, semi-skilled, and unskilled
workers, but also information on various employers
registered as establishment, factory, industry, company in
the state. Envisaged as a step towards an Aatmanirbhar
Bharat, while the portal provides citizens opportunities to
upgrade their skills and start working in nearby localities,
it enables employers to search for qualified workers as per
the required skill set.
The portal serves as an integrated platform, where an
employer can post its requirement and a job seeker search
various job opportunities.
Rajasthan Rajasthan
52
1. Data of workforce (skilled, semi-skilled, unskilled) is
collected from:
• Registered as building and other construction
workers
• Registered as unemployed in the Employment
Department
• ITI trained
• RSLDC (Rajasthan Skill and Livelihoods
Development Corporation) trained
• Migrant workers
• New registration on portal
2. Data of employers (establishments, companies,
factories, organizations)
• Data from BRN (business registration number)
• Data from Udyog Aadhaar Number (UAN)
• New registration on portal
A citizen can use this portal after registering once, which
can be done through:
• Aadhaar/mobile number, or by using the chatbot
service
• Single Sign On (SSO)
• E-Mitra Kiosk (there are over 60,000 such kiosks
operational across the state)
• Employers can register by using their BRN/UAN
number
The portal is in Hindi for easy accessibility, and is
integrated with the centralized SMS gateway service so that
every alert/information is sent to the citizens’ mobile
numbers. Rajasthan
53 Female Mate Training Workshop
Sirohi: Empowering Women Migrant workers
Through the Raj-Kaushal portal, migrants in the age group
of 18–60 were provided employment, after conducting
surveys and skill-mapping.
i) Upon observing that more that 80% of the labourers
under MGNREGA works were women, it was decided
to deploy female mate or supervisors with priority so as
to enable the empowerment of women workers. Based
on the data available on NREGA software, Sirohi was
assessed to have 96.76% achievement under women
mate deployment.
Home Page
Rajasthan
54 55
Andhra Pradesh
dation and understand the basics of handling day-to-today
business activities, with support from government facilities
and ILO programmes.
Training, production and marketing units are being estab-
lished. Further, the government intends to assess manpower
requirements sector- and area-wise. This mega exercise
would generate potential employment for the unemployed
youth, including migrant workers.
Andhra Pradesh State Skill Development Corporation
(APSSDC) is a public-private partnership corporation to
promote skill development and entrepreneurship in the
state. The corporation serves as the executive agency for the
Department of Skill Development, Entrepreneurship and
Innovation.
As a long-term initiative for skills and entrepreneurship
development, APSSDC, in partnership with Northeastern
University, Boston, is establishing the International Insti-
tute of Entrepreneurship Development to rapidly build a
vibrant ecosystem of world-class venture development
centres (venture incubators and accelerators). The institute
will offer various academic and experiential learning
programmes to help ideate, mature and develop ventures
through Northeastern’s NU-IDEA process. The venture
development initiatives are supported by maker spaces,
mentor/investor networks, and entrepreneurs’ clubs to
promote a culture of innovation-based entrepreneurship,
build competencies through practical, hands-on experien-
tial learning, and help empower entrepreneurs to launch
successful ventures.
In order to skill and empower women, the state has set up
mahila prangnams. Entrepreneurship and awareness camps
are held to enable women entrepreneurs to build the foun- Andhra Pradesh
56
dation and understand the basics of handling day-to-today
business activities, with support from government facilities
and ILO programmes.
Training, production and marketing units are being estab-
lished. Further, the government intends to assess manpower
requirements sector- and area-wise. This mega exercise
would generate potential employment for the unemployed
youth, including migrant workers.
Andhra Pradesh State Skill Development Corporation (APSSDC) is a public-private partnership corporation to promote skill development and entrepreneurship in the state. The corporation serves as the executive agency for the Department of Skill Development, Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
As a long-term initiative for skills and entrepreneurship
development, APSSDC, in partnership with Northeastern
University, Boston, is establishing the International Insti-
tute of Entrepreneurship Development to rapidly build a
vibrant ecosystem of world-class venture development
centres (venture incubators and accelerators). The institute
will offer various academic and experiential learning
programmes to help ideate, mature and develop ventures
through Northeastern’s NU-IDEA process. The venture
development initiatives are supported by maker spaces,
mentor/investor networks, and entrepreneurs’ clubs to
promote a culture of innovation-based entrepreneurship,
build competencies through practical, hands-on experien-
tial learning, and help empower entrepreneurs to launch
successful ventures.
In order to skill and empower women, the state has set up
mahila prangnams. Entrepreneurship and awareness camps
are held to enable women entrepreneurs to build the foun- Designed by
Cover art inspired by Electricity Access and Utility Benchmarking report