How UP, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh plan to provide jobs to returning migrants
While states such as Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh were criticised for amending existing labour laws, the governments in these states have defended the move on the grounds that it will pave the way for more employment avenues.
As the number of migrant workers returning to their native states begins to swell, several Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled states are preparing to address the challenge of creating jobs for the returnees.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday announced that the state government is making efforts to provide jobs to 20 lakh migrant workers. In Bihar, where the BJP is in alliance with the JDU, the state has issued orders to draw up a plan to cater to a similar number, while in Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan said 16 lakh workers have already been given work under the MGNREGA.
According to a person aware of the details, the issue of providing employment to the workers, most of whom had to undertake harrowing journeys, was flagged at the meetings that the party high command had with the state units.
“Apart from the immediate help such as cash and food for workers who have been out of jobs owing to the nationwide shutdown, states have been asked to ensure that employment avenues are tapped and that people are not left without work and means to earn their livelihood. Unemployment can lead to social unrest,” said a party functionary privy to the details.
While states such as Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh were criticised for amending existing labour laws, the governments in these states have defended the move on the grounds that it will pave the way for more employment avenues.
“Care is being taken to ensure that while newer investment gets a boost; the rights of labourers are protected too,” the functionary quoted above said.
But are states, struggling under the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, equipped to bear the strain that reverse migration will exert on their coffers?
In UP, where over nine lakh migrant workers have returned so far, minister Siddharth Nath Singh said the numbers are not unrealistic as the state already has schemes that can absorb the additional workforce. He said, the UP chief minister had set up a task force under the agriculture production commissioner, which includes people from the Panchayati Raj, the MSME sector, rural development, labour and skilling ministries to work out areas, where through coordinated efforts jobs will be generated.
“There are various schemes in existence already, for instance the MSME has the one district, one product scheme, there are many schemes under rural development that are linked to MGNREGA; we have also set a target of skilling about 20 lakh people and offering them stipend. Targets have been given, we are also mapping the migrant quarantining facilities and so it doesn’t seem difficult to generate jobs,” he said.
In Bihar, a massive data collation exercise is underway, said minister Sanjay Jha. He said the administration is collecting details of all those who arrive at the quarantine centres set up across all blocs in the state to get a sense of the skills and proficiency of the workers.
“When the workers began to arrive, the chief minister gave instructions to make a data bank of their skill sets so that as soon as avenues for investment open up, we can go all out to ensure they are gainfully employed,” he said.
Jha said the scepticism over reverse migration is unfounded since a lot of workers who have returned to Bihar from other states, showed inclination to stay back.
In Haryana, a party functionary said efforts are underway to ensure economic activity picks up in the industrial belt so that workers who left for their native places are encouraged to move back.
“If states don’t make efforts to reboot quickly, there will be a massive labour shortfall,” the second functionary said.
Prof Amitabh Kundu, a distinguished fellow at the New Delhi-based think tank Research and Information System for Developing Countries, said the reverse migration is only temporary.
“It is good if state governments create jobs. But reverse migration won’t last because there is massive regional inequality between the Northern and southern regions. Also, in states such as UP, Bihar, Rajasthan, etc the population growth is much above the national average; whereas the southern states have stabilised their growth. So migration will occur again,” he said.