Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the Uttar Pradesh government’s unique initiative, ‘Atmanirbhar UP Rojgar Abhiyan’ on Friday. The initiative aims at providing employment to one crore migrant workers and others who lost their jobs during the Covid-19 pandemic and returned home. The Prime Minister will launch the scheme virtually through video conference in the presence of Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath.

The scheme is focused on providing jobs, promoting local entrepreneurship and creating partnerships with industrial associations and other organisations to create employment opportunities. It is in addition to the Centre’s schemes being run under the Atmanirbhar Bharat programme to stimulate various sectors.

By doing so, Uttar Pradesh will be setting a new record of sorts, to become the first state in the country to give employment to one crore people in one go.

According to senior officials, more than 30 lakh migrant workers have returned to Uttar Pradesh during the lockdown imposed after the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. The state government has already completed the skill mapping of these workers.

While the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) will be a major contributor to employment, the government has also tied up with many organisations and industry bodies to provide these labourers with jobs.

“We have roped in all major departments to provide work in addition to jobs being provided under the MGNREGS. The micro small and medium enterprises (MSME) department, public works department, horticulture department and the agencies constructing the expressways will also contribute in a big way in the creation of more jobs,” chief secretary RK Tiwari said, adding that real estate body National Real Estate Development Council (NAREDCO) and the government has already signed MoUs with industry bodies such as CII, FICCI and IIA regarding this.

Source : PTI