Gareeb Kalyan Rozgar Abhiyan: Employment boost! Indian Railways generates more than 6,40,000 mandays

In a major employment boost under, Modi government's Gareeb Kalyan Rozgar Abhiyan, Indian Railways has generated more than 6,40,000 mandays of work in 6 States viz. Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Till 21 August, 2020, 12,276 workers have been engaged in this Abhiyan and the payment of Rs 1,410.35 crores has been released to the contractors for the projects being implemented.

Railway has appointed nodal officers in each district as well as in the States so that close coordination is established with the State Government. Moreover, as per a statement released by Ministry of Railways, Piyush Goyal, Minister of Railways and Commerce & Industry is closely monitoring the progress made in these projects and generation of work opportunities for the migrant labours of these states under this scheme. Around 165 Railway infrastructure projects are being executed in these states.

Railway has identified no. of railway works which are being executed under this scheme. The works are related to

(i) construction and maintenance of approach roads for level crossings,

(ii) development & cleaning of silted waterways, trenches and drains along the track,

(iii) construction and maintenance of approach road to railway stations,

(iv) repair and widening of existing railway embankments / cuttings,

(v) plantation of trees at extreme boundary of railway land and

(vi) protection works of existing embankments/ cuttings/bridges.  
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched massive employment -cum- rural public works campaign named Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyan to empower and provide livelihood opportunities in areas/ villages witnessing a large number of returnee migrant workers affected by the devastating COVID-19 on 20th June 2020. The Prime Minister had announced that an amount of Rs 50,000 crores would be spent for building durable rural infrastructure under the Garib Kalyan Rozgar Abhiyan.