On 20th June 2020, Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan was launched as a massive employment -cum- rural public works Campaign to empower and provide livelihood opportunities in areas/ villages witnessing large number of returnee migrant workers affected by the devastating COVID-19. 

Status report after 6 weeks

    • The campaign is in the process of empowering villagers with livelihood opportunities in 116 districts of six states namely Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

    • A total of about 17 crore mandays employment has been provided.

    • Rs.13,240 crore has been spent so far in the of pursuit of objectives of the Abhiyaan.

    • A large number of structures have been created under GKRA

    • 62,532 water conservation structures

    • 1.74 lakh rural houses

    • 14,872 cattle shed

    • 8,963 form ponds

    • 2,222 Community Sanitary Complex

    • 5,909 works have been taken up through District Mineral Funds

    • 564 Gram Panchayat have been provided internet connectivity

    • 16,124 candidates have been provided skill training through Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs)

    • The Abhiyaan’s success so far can be seen as due to convergent efforts of 12 Ministries/ Departments and State Governments, which are giving higher quantum of benefits to the migrant workers and rural communities.

    • It is set for a long term initiative for jobs and livelihoods for those who chose to stay back in villages.

About GKRA

    • An amount of Rs 50,000 Crores would be spent for building durable rural infrastructure

    • 25 work areas have been identified for employment in villages, for development of various works

    • 25 works or projects are like rural housing for the poor, Plantations, provision of drinking water through Jal Jeevan mission, Panchayat Bhavans, community toilets, rural mandis, rural roads, other infrastructure like Cattle Sheds, Anganwadi Bhavans etc.

    • high speed and cheap internet to be provided in every rural household to help the youth and children.

    • works will be done while staying in his own village, while staying with his family

    • Abhiyaan of 125 days, to work in mission mode, and to involve focused implementation

Major objective of GKRA

    • Provide livelihood opportunity to returning migrants and similarly affected rural citizens

    • Saturate villages with public infrastructure and create livelihood opportunities viz. Roads, Housing, Anganwadis, Panchayat Bhavans, various livelihood assets and Community Complexes among others

    • The basket of a wide variety of works will ensure that each migrant worker is able to get an opportunity of employment according to his skill, in the coming 125 days. The Program will also prepare for expansion and development of livelihoods over a longer term.