Plight of returnees discussed in House
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, February 10 2021:
The State Government has been planning to help migrant workers who had returned to the State from different parts of the country in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, stated Chief Minister N Biren.
Biren made this statement while discussing a demand pertaining to Labour & Employment during today's sitting of the 11th Manipur Legislative Assembly.
As registered with the State Government, around 15,000 migrant workers returned to the State in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, it is not yet clear how many of them have returned to their work place and how many are still in the State, Biren told the House.
The Chief Minister stated that the Government would extend all possible assistance to all those migrant workers who would not go back to their work places.
Around Rs 45 crore has been already earmarked for StartUp, StandUp and Supporting to Existing Business schemes, he said.
Earlier, applications for these schemes should be submitted within one month after due notification was issued but this time the regulation on submission of applications has been relaxed in the interest of migrant workers who had returned and opted to stay in the State, Biren said.
Individuals as well as groups may apply for the schemes tomorrow itself at the special cell opened at Planning Department.
Selected individuals and groups would be given loan and grant, the Chief Minister stated.
In addition, the State Government has been working to develop shopping complexes having at least 100 shops in each and every district under the name 'district level job creation Centre' or 'district level employment centre' with financial assistance from the Central Government, he continued.
Taking part in discussing the demand, MLA O Surjakumar opined that it would take only a couple of days to ascertain how many of the migrant workers have gone back to their work places and how many are staying back.
He further drew attention of the leader of the House saying that a platform must be created to support the migrant workers who had returned to the State.
The issue of ITIs was raised in the previous issue and the Government assured that new courses and trades would be opened, proper infrastructure would be developed and necessary equipment would be provided.
However, there is no sign of translating these assurances into action any time soon, Surjakumar decried.
Labour & Employment Minister Th Satyabrata said that those who have returned home in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic include people working in tours and travels, hospitality, health, retail and IT sectors and sports persons.
Saying that it would be difficult to provide placement to all those migrant workers who have returned home, Satyabrata informed that the Government has been working on skill training and skill upgradation.
He went on to say that the Government has been working to develop infrastructure of all ITIs and also to open new trades and courses.
Responding to an observation made by MLA Kh Joykisan, Satyabrata said that the Manipur Building & Other Construction Workers' Welfare Board could not function properly sometime back due to certain issues and legal battle at Court.
The board was able to function properly after it was re-constituted in August last year.
The 14th meeting of the board was held on October 5 last year, Satyabrata said.
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