The state government has allocated a fund of Rs 300 crore to provide financial assistance to those who have lost their jobs due to demonetisation in other states and have come back home. The scheme to provide financial assistance has been named "Samarthan".
It may be mentioned that state Finance Minister Amit Mitra had announced the unique step of providing financial assistance to "stand beside the skilled workers" while presenting the Budget in the Assembly on February 10.
On Monday, the state government has decided to allocate Rs 300 crore for the scheme initially in nine districts.
Under the scheme, Rs 50,000 will be given to each such workers to start their own business so that they can earn their livelihood and don't have to suffer after losing their jobs due to the hasty decision of the Modi government to demonetise high value notes.
The state government has decided to provide financial assistance to 50,000 such workers. Skilled workers, the ones who returned to state after losing their jobs, will have to apply to district magistrates to get the benefits of the scheme.
Hundreds of people from districts including Howrah, Murshidabad, East Midnapore, North and South 24-Parganas went to different parts of the country to work. But they lost their job due to demonetisation and came back home.
After Mitra proposed the scheme while presenting the Budget, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had said that the step was taken on humanitarian ground as they had lost their jobs all of a sudden due to the arbitrary decision of the Centre. They could invest the money at least to start a small business that would help them to earn their livelihood.
It may be mentioned that the Mamata Banerjee government is the first in the country to introduce sucha scheme for those who lost jobs due to demonetisation.