With Covid-19 norms easing out in the country, many migrants from Uttarakhand -who had come to their home state after pandemic- have stated returning to metro cities for livelihood. According to the Uttarakhand Rural Development and Migration Commission about one Lakh Uttarakhandis have so far moved out of the hill state after staying in their native village/town during the lockdown.

The population of many villages have suddenly declined, after witnessing sharp increase after the lockdown. As Jagmohan Dangi of Thanool village in district Pauri states, “About twenty migrants returned to our village during lockdown and most have returned to Delhi and Mumbai. Only three migrants are presently in our village.” Many villages have similar Thanool like stories to share.

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S.S. Negi, deputy chairman of the Uttarakhand Rural Development and Migration Commission said, “A total of 3.57 lakh migrants returned to their home state. By the end of September 2020, about 29 percent (about one lakh) returnees have migrated to cities outside Uttarakhand.”

According to a survey of Uttarakhand Rural Development and Migration Commission even in the present time about 71 percent of the migrants are still residing in their native village and town. Which is a good news for the state government. A large number of the migrants are engaged in agriculture/animal husbandry and allied works (33 percent), 38 percent are involved in MNREGA, 12 percent are self-employed and 17 percent others are doing different livelihood activities.

Uttarakhand Rural Development and Migration Commission asserts that the highest cases of self employment have been registered from Almora (39 percent). Even in districts like Nainital, Udham Singh Nagar and Tehri the self employment trend is popular among migrants.

The return of a large number of highlanders from big cities to their native village motivated the Uttarakhand government to utilize the professional skills of the returnees. In a move to utilize skilled migrants from Uttarakhand the state government recently launched a web portal. The main objective is to build a database of the professional skills of the migrants and provide them job opportunities in Uttarakhand.