Deputy development commissioner Vijaya Jadhav on Wednesday asked all 16 BDOs of Hazaribagh to provide jobs to migrant labourers, who have returned to the district following the coronavirus-induced nationwide lockdown.

Jadhav has asked the BDOs to prepare a list of the migrants, comprising their personal information and skill base, to provide them with work suited to their capabilities. She further warned the officers that strict action will be taken against them if any labourer concerned leaves the district, failing to secure employment.

She directed them to take up maximum schemes in areas under their jurisdiction, organising review meetings to put a complete check on migration. She said it was their responsibility to provide jobs to labourers and for this, collective measures are needed, failing which action will be initiated.

One the same issue, deputy commissioner Bhuvnesh Pratap Singh has also directed officials to make a list of labourers, dividing them into two categories — skilled and unskilled. He said that in the next three months, each panchayat will have to start 300 different government schemes to engage the maximum number of labourers. He further directed block development officers and circle officers to act as coordinators.

A total of 60,000 migrant labourers have returned to the district so far with screening of 59,066 done till date. Out of this, the highest of 14866 labourers belong to Vishnugarh block. Chouparan stands second with 12,044 labourers.

Health department officials said 18,832 labourers have been released so far from government quarantine centres and 12,779 from home quarantine after the mandatory 14-day stay.

Singh said all these labourers will also get a packet under state government scheme Mukhyamantri Aahar, containing 10kilogram rice, 1kg pulses, salt, mustard oil, potato and onion.

He urged mukhiyas to work honestly and devote their full energy in providing jobs to migrants.

Singh said circle officers are now solely responsible for educating people on Covid-19 to check its spread. Earlier, circle officers and block development officers were tasked to handle the awareness campaign.