Railways to generate 8 lakh man days of employment by Oct-end for migrant workers

The railway ministry on Wednesday said it will generate 8 lakh man days of employment opportunity for migrant workers and others, in infrastructure projects worth ₹1,800 crores in the next 125 days till 31 October.

The ministry said it reviewed the progress of the recently announced Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan that is being implemented in 116 districts across six states-- Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and Jharkhand. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had on Saturday launched an employment and rural public works campaign--Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan--to provide livelihood opportunities in villages witnessing large number of returnee migrant workers from urban areas. Modi had said that ₹50,000 crore will be spent for building durable rural infrastructure under the plan.

“This abhiyaan of 125 days, will work in mission mode, will involve focused implementation of various categories of works/activities in 116 districts, each with a large concentration of returnee migrant workers in 6 states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Odisha. Around 160 infrastructure works have been identified which are to be expedited,” an official statement said.

Railway has also identified several railway works, which can be executed through MGNREGS. This will include construction and maintenance of approach roads for level crossings, road to railway stations, development and cleaning drains along the track, repair and widening of existing railway embankments, plantation of trees at extreme boundary of railway land.

“Zonal Railways have also been instructed to get sanction of proposed works under MGNREGS. Zonal railways would be monitoring the works on daily basis and submit report to ministry every Friday till end of Oct 2020,” it said.