Indian Railways to generate 8 lakh man days of employment for migrants

The Indian Railways Ministry on June 24 announced that it will generate 8 lakh man-days of employment for the migrant workers in various infrastructure projects that are worth Rs. 1,800 crore in the next 125 days.

Railway Ministry reviewed the progress of Garib Kalyan Rojgaar Abhiyaan with Railway PSUs and Zonal Railways through a virtual meeting. The ministry also instructed the zonal railways to accelerate the execution of ongoing infrastructure works in 116 districts across 6 states that have been selected under the Abhiyaan.

As per the Ministry, around 160 infrastructure works have been identified that are required to be accelerated. These works will engage thousand of workers and will roughly generate 8 lakh man-days of employment till the end of October 2020.

Railways to generate 8 lac mandays of employment opportunity for migrants and others in infrastructure projects worth Rs 1800 Crores in next 125 days till 31st October, 2020 .

Ministry of Railways reviews progress of ‘Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan’.https://t.co/OvrrkZTFBK pic.twitter.com/J1YdwnTyiX

— Ministry of Railways (@RailMinIndia) June 24, 2020

Railway Ministry on generating employment for migrants:

While addressing the review meeting, Vinod Kumar Yadav, Railway Board Chairman, has directed the zonal railways to appoint nodal officers in each district and in the states so that close coordination will be established with the state governments as well.

The Railway Board chairman also directed the Railway Administration at the Zonal level to act proactively to ensure that the migrant workers are engaged in projects and have been getting paid accordingly.

Railway works through MGNREGA:

The Railway Ministry has also identified a number of railway works that can be executed through the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

The identified works will be related to the maintenance and construction of approach roads for development, level crossing, and cleaning of silted waterways. This will also include the construction and maintenance of approach road to railway stations, widening and repair of existing railway embankments, protection works of existing embankments/bridges/cuttings/ and plantation of trees at the extreme boundary of railway land.

The Ministry has also instructed the Zonal railways to get the sanction of proposed works under MGNREGA, to monitor work on a daily basis and to submit the report to ministry every Friday till the end of October 2020.