The district administration in South Dinajpur has started providing jobs under the 100 days’ wage employment scheme to migrant workers who have now returned home following the pandemic and the lockdown.

A total of 490 migrant workers have already been given work under this scheme, officials said.

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More than 12000 migrant workers have completed their home quarantine period, while the registration for the 100 days’ work and job card distribution is going on.

“Before the rainy season, the district administration has decided to include all migrant labourers who want to work under this scheme. Different projects will be taken up to continue the work and ensure maximum man-days,” an official said today.

As per a district administration report, the process of issuing new job cards has also been started in all the blocks.

Migrant workers who want to engage in the 100 days’ work have to apply for job cards, and these will be prepared within two to three days, a source at the District Magistrate’s office said.

“A total of 31000 families benefited from the MGNREGA this year. The district administration has identified 12809 migrant workers who have completed their quarantine period, out of whom, 409 are working in the fields, while the administration is trying to provide the job cards for the remaining,” the source said.

“While the process is ongoing, 1280 demands for new job cards have been registered so far. All payments are cleared within 4-7 days of completion of the work as the flow of funds in the DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer) is smooth. The present person days is 6.7 lakh and the expenditure till now is Rs 23 crore, out of which, labour payment of Rs 12.19 crore has been made till now,” the source said.

According to district administration officials, more than 20,000 persons have returned to the district from different parts of the country, and most of them had been working in the unorganised sector.

“In Maharashtra, I was working under a construction group, and my monthly income was 20,000. If the situation becomes normal, I will go back. But at present, I am happy that I got the job card and have started work under the 100 days’ scheme,” one migrant worker from Kushmandi, Md Adu Taher Siddiqui, said.

District Magistrate of South Dinajpur Nikhil Nirmal said the target is to engage a maximum number of migrant workers in the 100 days’ work.

“All the blocks are working on this. Job card preparation is going on in full swing. Next Friday, the district administration will hold discussions with block Development Officers on the future projects and on how to continue with this scheme. We will try to create maximum number of mandays this year,” Mr Nirmal said.