Speaking to reporters at the state secretariat, Banerjee said under the ‘Sramasree’ scheme, the migrant labourers, who were willing to return to Bengal, would be provided financial aid of Rs 5,000 for 12 months or till the time they get employment.
The announcement of the scheme comes ahead of the assembly polls due next year.
“In different states, mostly ruled by the double-engine government, there are pre-planned attacks on the Bengali language and Bengali-speaking people. Those speaking in Bengali are being earmarked as criminals, and they are either pushed back to Bangladesh or put behind bars or harassed at police stations. Around 22 lakh migrant labourers and their families have faced harassment,” she claimed.
“The cabinet has given approval for the scheme to help in the rehabilitation of the migrant workers willing to return and start their lives afresh,” the CM said.
Banerjee said there were around 22 lakh migrant labourers from Bengal working outside the state, and nearly 1.5 crore such labourers from other states employed here.
She referred to various schemes of the state government launched during the Covid pandemic to help the migrant workers returning to Bengal, like the ‘Prachesta’, ‘Sneher Porosh’, ‘Parijai Sahayata’ and ‘Samarthan’.
Talking more about the new ‘Sramasree’ scheme, Banerjee said its “primary objective is to bring back the migrant labourers to Bengal and help them earn their livelihood”.
“Those who will return will be provided with a one-time travel assistance of Rs 5,000, besides a rehabilitation allowance of Rs 5,000 for 12 months or until they get employment. The state’s labour division will be the nodal department,” she stated.
She also said the department will check the skills of such migrant labourers, and train them accordingly.
These migrant workers will also be included in the ‘Karmashree Prakalpa’ started by the state government, after cessation of the Centre’s 100-day work scheme.
Banerjee said they would “easily get loans”, and the state government would provide ‘Khadya Sathi’ and ‘Swasthya Sathi’ cards for their entire family.
“If they do not have homes, shelters would be provided to them at community centres… We would also help their children get admission at local schools to complete their education without any hindrance,” the chief minister said.
A dedicated portal for the ‘Sramasree’ scheme would soon be opened, and Chief Secretary Manoj Pant shall monitor the entire programme, she said.
Banerjee said so far, the West Bengal government has helped around 10,000 migrant labourers and their families to return to the state.
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