Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday announced a new rehabilitation scheme, ‘Shramashree’, for Bengali migrant workers who are allegedly facing harassment in BJP-ruled states.
The scheme, cleared in the Cabinet meeting at Nabanna, is aimed at bringing back workers who wish to return and help them rebuild livelihoods in Bengal.
“You all know that in double-engine (BJP-ruled) states, Bengali-speaking people are being attacked. Those speaking in Bengali are being treated like criminals, put in jail or even pushed back to Bangladesh. Till now, most of the 22 lakh migrant workers and their families outside Bengal have been harassed for speaking Bengali. On the other hand, we have 1.5 crore workers from other states who live and work in Bengal with due respect. That is the difference,” Banerjee said.
Under ‘Shramashree’, each returning worker will receive one-time travel aid of Rs 5,000 and monthly rehabilitation aid of Rs 5,000 for up to 12 months until employment is arranged. The Labour Department will be the nodal department, with the Chief Secretary monitoring implementation. Beneficiaries will also be given ‘Khadya Sathi’ ration cards, ‘Swasthya Sathi’ health cards, and immediate cash support of Rs 5,000 upon arrival. Homeless workers will be accommodated through community kitchens, while their children will be enrolled in local schools to ensure continuity of education.
Banerjee said returning workers would also be linked to existing schemes. “Under Utkarsha Bangla, we provide skill training. Those who return will be assessed, trained where required, and absorbed in various jobs. Under Karmashree, they will be issued job cards. Already, 78 lakh cardholders have been provided work, creating over 91 crore man-days, with the state spending Rs 19,000 crore,” she noted.
The scheme will apply to workers registered on the migrant workers’ portal ‘Karma Sathi’, while those not enrolled can register afresh. A dedicated Shramashree portal will also be launched. Applications will be accepted through the Migrant Workers Welfare Board and the state’s ongoing outreach programme ‘Amader Para, Amader Samadhan’.
Banerjee said about 2,730 families, around 10,000 people, had already been brought back to Bengal after facing torture or harassment in other states, while many workers were returning voluntarily. “It is our duty to ensure that Bengal’s workers live and work with dignity and security,” she said, citing a recent incident in Andhra Pradesh where a Bengali worker was killed and his body not handed over. She directed District Magistrates to proactively identify returning workers and extend the benefits of the scheme to them. “During COVID-19 too, we brought back workers and helped them. This is a continuation of that responsibility,” she said. “Now we are having the ‘Amader Para Amader Samadhan’, so these migrant workers can also enrol their names there and we will get the details from there. The places where the APAS camps have already been held, there the migrant workers can approach the DM or the BDO and we can get the names from there,” she said. Meanwhile, Banerjee also informed that the Request for Proposal (RFP) for Tajpur Port was discussed and cleared in the Cabinet meeting. The Chief Minister also alleged that the door-to-door mental health survey, conducted by Kalyani AIIMS, is an indirect way to facilitate NRC in the state.