Malkangiri: As reverse migration of workers continues in Malkangiri, the district administration faces the mammoth challenge of providing livelihood and income-generation activities to the daily wagers and those who have lost their jobs due to lockdown, a report said.
Given this situation, the state government has taken this task seriously. Additional secretary of the science and technology department and the nodal officer of COVID-19 for the district, Md Rashid Khan, came to the district on a two-day visit and directed officials of various departments to create scope of income generation for the workers.
He advised the officials to engage labourers in the projects being executed by the road and the buildings department, the rural development department, the rural water supply and sanitation department, the horticulture department and in the projects pertaining to digging of farm ponds.
He held the review meeting with Collector Manish Agrawal, ADM Birasen Pradhan, PD Balmukunda Bhuyan, sub-collector Rameswar Pradhan and took stock of the progress of various projects in the district.
Khan appreciated the district administration for proper management of COVID-19 and asked the administration to carry on the work for the upcoming situation.
It was learnt that 2009 job cards were issued to poor families to work under MGNREGS.
Even as migrant labourers from other states continue to return in large numbers, the administration has engaged 2,187 SHGs in COVID management, awareness and other related works.
The review meeting revealed that under rural housing scheme, the administration has set a target to build 23,294 houses in the district in the current year while 19,328 houses have been completed. He underscored the need for creating work scope for rural people and migrants in the housing project and construction sectors.
PNN
