The Jharkhand government is planning to set-up labour assistance desks in all 24 districts to provide training, necessary assistance and to help labourers in distress. The government felt the need to set-up a proper mechanism to assist labourers during the nationwide lockdown imposed in the wake of outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic.
The lockdown witnessed lakhs of labourers of Jharkhand returning to their home from different states after the central government ordered closure of all kinds of economic activities.
A large number of labourers had a torturous journey back to their home before chief minister Hemant Soren took personal initiatives to bring back labourers safely by train, bus and special flight.
The return of such a large number of labourers posed a big challenge before the government to generate employment opportunity for them within Jharkhand. For the first time the issue of labourers including their safe return, economic survival and rehabilitation was addressed during the lockdown period. Around six lakh labourers of Jharkhand reportedly returned to their home.
A senior official of department of Labour, Employment, Training & Skill Development said that minister of the department Satyanand Bhokta has asked officials of the department to draw the blueprint for the assistance desk. Minister who was in Chatra during an official visit on Saturday confirmed the development.
Department sources said that the assistance desk will ensure skill training to unskilled labourers and it will help labourers to get employment to labourers of all categories.
“In June last year the department had decided for the registration of labourers and the registration drive was launched at the same time to prepare a database. The labour department in tandem with other departments explored employment opportunities in different sectors and reports were sought from different private companies about the job requirements. Besides, labour assistance desk is meant to extend quick support to labourers,” an official of the department said.
A large number of skill and semi-skilled labourers from Jharkhand are working in foreign countries. Often, they face problem due to their greedy employers like non-payment of wage, confiscation of their passport and in case of any unfortunate incident they become helpless. The helpdesk will look into such cases to extend necessary help to labourers.