A survey of 4.56 lakh migrant workers of Jharkhand has revealed that 3.06 lakh are skilled, primarily in agriculture and animal husbandry.

As many as 7.5 lakh migrants returned to Jharkhand after the coronavirus-induced lockdown was announced in March, and the state rural development department hopes to map the skill sets of the remaining workers soon.

An official of Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Mission Society (JSLPS), an arm of the rural development department, said members of women’s self-help groups are conducting the survey using a mobile app titled, Mission Saksham, developed by the state government.

“Of the 4.56 lakh migrants surveyed, 3.06 lakh are skilled. The rest aren’t skilled. The survey is expected to be over in another few weeks. The idea is to explore job opportunities for migrants through convergence of different public and private schemes,” he said.

Secretary of the rural development department Aradhana Patnaik said that among the migrants surveyed, 37.2 per cent evinced interest in agriculture while 13.8 per cent said they were interested in allied activities like animal husbandry.

“We are trying to connect them with suitable job opportunities on the basis of their interest,” Patnaik said, adding that they were also setting up various self-help groups for women migrants interested in taking up various livelihood projects available with JSLPS.

She said that to begin with, many migrants were provided with seeds ahead of the khariff season to help them pursue agriculture and earn a livelihood. “So far, 4370.49 quintals of seeds like paddy, pulses and groundnuts were distributed among migrants to begin cultivation on available land,” she said.

Patnaik added that through self-help groups, they were also trying to offer financial assistances to talented women to help them become village level entrepreneurs. “The state government has so far made Rs 120 crore available to 80,000 women’s self-help groups under this scheme which is estimated to have benefitted about 10 lakh families.”

Citing an example of how financial assistance is helping the rural populace, a JSPLS official said, “Recently, one Vijay Bhuiyan, who worked as an auto driver in Ranchi, lost his job due to lockdown. After he returned to Chatra district, his wife Kavita Devi availed financial assistance from a local self-help group through credit linkage scheme and bought an auto for her husband. He has now started earning in his home district,” he said.