PM Garib Kalyan Rojgar Yojana is a gigantic employment -cum- rural public works programme launched by the central government to provide livelihood opportunities in areas/ villages where there is large number of migrant workers returnees, affected by COVID-19. Along with this employment provision, the programme aims to create large scale public assets out of the work provided by the labourers.
PM Garib Kalyan Rojgar Yojana was inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi on June 20, 2020 with the starting of work at Bihar’s Khagaria.
The programme aims to provide jobs to 6.7 million of the 10 million migrants returnees.
Working of the programme is to use 25 rural-centric employment generation schemes to provide work for 125 days in 25 work areas to the migrant workers in 116 districts of six states.
These 25 works or projects are related to the village economy – like creation of rural housing for the poor, drinking water through Jal Jeevan mission, Panchayat Bhavans, community toilets, rural mandis, rural roads, other infrastructure like Cattle Sheds, Anganwadi Bhavans, plantations works etc.
The 116 districts, that have sizable returnee migrant workers are in 6 states – Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Odisha. Government has decided to allocate Rs. 50,000 crores for the project.
The Abhiyaan will be a coordinated effort of 12 different Ministries/Departments including – Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Road Transport & Highways, Mines, Drinking Water & Sanitation, Environment, Railways, Petroleum & Natural Gas, New & Renewable Energy, Border Roads, Telecom and Agriculture.
Major objectives of the initiative include:
- Provide livelihood opportunity to returning migrants and affected rural citizens.
- Saturate villages with public infrastructure and create livelihood opportunities.
- To ensure that every worker will get employment according to his skill, by providing a variety of works. The Program will also prepare for expansion and development of livelihoods over a longer term.
The Ministry of Rural Development is the nodal Ministry for this programme, and it will be implemented in close coordination with the State Governments.
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