Ranchi: The United Nations International Organisation on Migration (UN-IOM) and NITI Aayog organised a National Conclave on “The Impact of COVID-19 on Migration: Benchmarking of Good Practices & Preparing for the Future” in Delhi. Nine state governments including the Government of Jharkhand were invited to the national conference with the objective of sharing best practices related to securing the welfare of migrant workers during and after the pandemic, and developing a better understanding amongst origin states and destination states to establish a framework for the social welfare of migrant workers.
The Department of Labour, Training, Employment & Skill Development, Jharkhand was represented by the coordinator of Safe and Responsible Migration Initiative (SRMI) anchored within the Department and launched earlier by Chief Minister on 16 December 2021. Key initiatives undertaken successfully by the Government of Jharkhand under the leadership of Hemant Soren, Minister of Labour, Planning, Training and Skill Development Satyanand Bhokta and state and district administration to support the migrant workers during the pandemic times were highlighted. Several other states also presented during the session which was chaired by Dr Muniraju, Deputy Adviser, NITI Aayog and co-chaired by Sarat Dash, IOM, DG’s Special Envoy to India.
The Government of Jharkhand’s efforts to drive a welfare-centric approach to mitigate the migration crisis and a sustained approach towards mainstreaming migration was appreciated by everyone. Dr Muniraju lauded the Jharkhand Government for the visible commitment and exemplary work done towards the welfare of migrant workers and the protection of their rights in the last two years. Sarat Dash appreciated the Government of Jharkhand for launching SRMI which can set a guiding example for other states to follow.
In the recent past, NITI Aayog has recognized the efforts taken by the Government of Jharkhand and acknowledged that SRMI has the potential to be a lighthouse policy initiative in the country. The Safe and Responsible Migration Initiative (SRMI) is working closely with source districts, destination states and NGOs to develop a data-driven policy framework for safeguarding the welfare of migrant workers from Jharkhand.