The West Singhbhum district administration will map the skills of every migrant labourer returning from other states through call centres to assist them in getting self-employed in their villages amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

The first step was taken on Friday evening when over 1,200 workers from Morbi in Gujarat returned on a special train at Tatanagar. The West Singhbhum district rural development authority (DRDA) arranged the distribution of pamphlets in Hindi ‘‘Ab apne gaon main hee milega rozgar” to each migrant, informing them about getting self-employed in villages by growing fruits.

West Singhbhum DC Arava Rajkamal said that through the pamphlets they gave information to each migrant about fruit farming and government help for irrigation, buying seeds, fencing the fields and even labour cost of Rs 197 per day per person to prepare plots and grow fruits.

“We have the contact number of every worker and the district employment exchange office in Chaibasa will reach out to them at the quarantine centres with a form wherein they have to express their willingness to work in the MGNREGA scheme after we map their skills,” said the DC. “We have to equip migrant workers with earning skills in the changed scenario, else how will they survive?” he added.

Right now, the workers are spending their 28-day quarantine period.

During this time itself, each worker will be called up for their skills and work experience so far and other professional details as part of their skill mapping, and will have to fill up the required form if they evince interest in fruit farming through MGNREGA.

“We will put up banners giving details about the fruit farming concept at each block headquarters. In addition, banners about the three job-oriented schemes integrated with the MGNREGA (Poto Ho Khel Vikas Yojana, a sports infrastructure project, Nilamber Pitamber Jal Samridhi Yojana or water conservation project, and Birsa Harit Gram Yojana or the fruit farming project) will be put up,” added West Singhbhum deputy development commissioner Aditya Ranjan.

BDOs in each of the 18 blocks of West Singhbhum have been directed to identify at least 200 acres in each block, and take help from the district agriculture officer, district rural development authority (DRDA) and district soil conservation officer to arrange fruit bearing plants in identified plots for migrant workers.

The administration plans to engage at least 40 workers in plantation for every acre of land under the MGNREGA on a payment of Rs 194 daily.

The West Singhbhum administration is planning to provide market linkage for the workers when the plants start yielding fruits by tying up with NGOs in each block.

State rural development minister Alamgir Alam said that West Singhbhum model of reaching out to migrant workers was “laudable” and “should be replicated in other districts”. “We have asked all the districts to engage the returning migrant workers in three job schemes integrated with MGNREGA projects after they complete the mandatory 28-day quarantine. The West Singhbhum model is good,” he said.