(Image source from: adirgrip.com)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday June 26 launched Atma Nirbhar UP Rojgar Abhiyan (Self-reliant UP Scheme) through video conferencing.

Narendra Modi has launched the scheme which will be a 125-day campaign that would provide employment to 1.25 crore migrant workers and others in Uttar Pradesh who have lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He launched the scheme as a part of Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyan.

The Prime Minister has also interacted with villagers of 6 districts of the state in the video conferencing. The villagers have joined the event through common service centres.

Concurring to the occasion, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has said that people from 31 districts of the state are going to get employment under the Atma Nirbhar UP scheme.

Of the 1.25 crore jobs announced by the government, approximately 60 lakh jobs have been given under the Rural Development Panchayati Raj Department as a part of MNREGA and the remaining 50 lakh jobs are provided in MSME’s across Uttar Pradesh.

All you need to know about Atma Nirbhar UP Rojgar Abhiyan:

• The scheme is majorly focused on promoting local entrepreneurs, providing employment and creating partnerships with industries to generate employment.
• Upon launching the previous scheme, ‘Rojgar ka Naya Abhiyan, har shramik ko kaam’ under the Garib Kalyan scheme in UP, the state has seen the influx of 30 lakh migrant workers following the lockdown. It is expected that all migrant workers who have lost jobs are going to retain them with this new scheme.
• People from 31 districts of UP are covered under the scheme.
• A loan of Rs. 5900 crore has been distributed to 2.4 lakh industries and Rs.3226 crore to 1 lakh new industrial units.
• About 1.25 lakh workers will receive offer letters from private construction companies and 5000 workers are going to receive tool kits as a part of one district one product scheme.
• According the UP government, 10 lakh jobs have been allocated under different projects such as expressways, irrigation projects, and road development and also under Public Works Department.

Calling the step as a commendable initiative by UP government, Prime Minister said, “Investors from India and abroad are now looking at Uttar Pradesh as a destination to set up businesses.”

The Garib Kalyan scheme has been launched last week to uplift rural India in the wake of the pandemic.

Central government mentioned that over 116 districts from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are worst-affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the introduction of such schemes has encouraged reverse migration into the states. Of the worst-affected states, 31 districts are solely from UP.

Appreciating Yoga Adityanath’s government, PM said, “He has done a wonderful job to contain the spread in the state. He turned a disaster into an opportunity”.

PM compared Uttar Pradesh with France, England, Italy and Spain which have the same population as Uttar Pradesh and said that if 1,30,000 people died in these countries, only 600 have succumbed to coronavirus in UP.

He also heaped praise on the CM by mentioning that if Yogi Adityanath had not handled the situation properly, over 85,000 people would have died in the state.

By Gayatri Yellayi