State introduces 'Porijai Sahay' scheme to provide free-of-cost ration to migrants

Kolkata: Taking a unique initiative, the state Labour department introduced the "Porijai Sahay" scheme to ensure that free-of-cost ration is delivered to migrant labourers.

Despite the Bengal government ensuring free-of-cost ration for all and soon the Duare Ration programme would start, the state Labour department had taken the initiative to identify whether still any migrant labourers are yet to get free ration every month.

All inspectors of the department were engaged to identify such migrant workers. Till now 2,833 migrant workers were being identified under the supervision of the state Labour minister Becharam Manna.

Each of these beneficiaries would be receiving 5 kg food grains every month under the scheme. The process of distributing 5 kg rice in the first month through ration shops has started.

The state Labour department is providing a coupon to each of the migrant labourers and they can easily collect their foodgrains from ration shops against the provided coupons.

A representative of the state Labour department is handing over the coupons at the doorstep of each of these beneficiaries. The dependents of these migrant labourers are also eligible for the benefits under the scheme.

After identifying such migrant workers, the state Labour department has uploaded their details in its dedicated portal. The same database has been exchanged with the state Food and Supplies department.

It needs mention that the Supreme Court had directed the Centre as well as the state government to take steps to extend all necessary support to migrant labourers.

Since the first wave of Covid pandemic, the Bengal government has taken a series of steps to extend support to migrant labourers.

Besides paying a hefty amount to hire special trains to bring them back from different states, the state government had also provided them work under the 100 days job scheme to help them earn their livelihood.