PATNA: 32 districts in Bihar, which witnessed the highest number of migrant returnees from across the country during the nationwide coronavirus lockdown, are among 116 districts of UP, Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Jharkhand, which have been included in the 'Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyan'.
Prime minister Narendra Modi will kick-off this drive on June 20 with an objective to providing employment to migrant-labourers, who have returned to their villages due to the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown which was imposed on March 25.
According to official sources, 12 different departments and ministries would work in a coordinated way to ensure employment opportunities to the needy migrant-labourers as per their skill set.
Out of the total 38 districts selected, Arwal, Jehanabad, Munger, Sheikhpura, Sheohar and Lakhisarai would not be covered in the drive initially.
More than 25 lakh migrant-labourers have returned to Bihar since May 3 by special trains and many of them are returning during the unlock period.
The state government has conducted the skill mapping of more than 17 lakhs of migrant-labourers and more than 6 to 7 lakhs of them have already been engaged in different schemes employment schemes including MNREGA.
The highest number of 1,53,022 migrants have officially returned to East Champaran followed by 1,41,944 in Katihar, 1,24,572 in Madhubani, 1,17,294 in Gaya, 1,17,200 in West Champaran, 1,03,007 in Darbhanga,1,00,973 in Araria,1,00,672 in Muzaffarpur,96,948 in Purnia and other districts.
The districts of Bihar wherein the 'Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyan' would be launched to provide employment to the migrant-labourers are East Champaran, West Champaran, Muzaffarpur, Vaishali, Darbhanga, Purnia, Gaya, Madhubani, Araria, Saran, Rohtas, Samastipur, Banka, Khagaria, Begusarai, Supaul, Bhagalpur, Saharsa, Aurangabad, Buxar, Kishanganj, Madhepura, Sitamarhi, Bhojpur, Siwan, Patna, Nalanda, Gopalganj, Jamui, Nawada and Kaimur.
In all these districts, 24,19,052 migrant-labourers have returned from Delhi, Mumbai Bengaluru, Maharashtra, Kolkata, Chennai, Gujarat, Surat, Rajasthan, MP, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and many other states after lockdown.