The Uttar Pradesh government on Sunday decided to constitute a five-member committee to ensure employment opportunities for migrant labourers who have returned to the state from other parts of the country in the wake of the coronavirus lockdown.
The move is likely to benefit more than 5 lakh labourers who have come back over the last 45 days, a senior official said.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath gave directions for setting up the committee while reviewing the lockdown situation at his official residence here, a statement issued by the state government said.
The committee will be headed by the agriculture production commissioner and include the principal secretaries of departments of rural development; panchayati raj; micro, small and medium enterprises; and skill development, it said.
"Following the imposition of the nationwide lockdown since March 25, there has been a problem of unemployment for rickshaw pullers, e-rickshaw operators, cart pullers, railway coolies and daily wage labourers. The UP government is extremely sensitive to this aspect and is making every effort to extend help to them," the statement quoted Adityanath as saying.
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"The committee should ensure the creation of employment under the One District, One Product (ODOP) scheme of the UP government and also organise loan melas," he added.
Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi told reporters here, "The chief minister is reviewing the lockdown situation daily. He has asked (officials) to prepare a plan to provide employment to more than five lakh migrant workers who returned to Uttar Pradesh during the last 45 days because of the COVID-19 outbreak."
According to the statement, Adityanath said the products made by women self-help groups should be marketed through the ODOP scheme.
"The increase in the revolving fund of the government of India should be used to encourage activities of women self-help groups to create employment," he said.
The chief minister also issued orders for compulsory testing of COVID-19 suspects by keeping them in shelter homes.
He added that people coming from outside the state should be quarantined to check the spread of the coronavirus.
Adityanath instructed Principal Secretary (Medical and Health) Amit Mohan Prasad to ensure that the areas with over 10 COVID-19 cases are not opened.
He said there will be no relaxation of lockdown in districts with more than 10 coronavirus cases from April 20.
"Such districts will not be included in the concession that has to be given from April 20. The chief minister has directed senior officers of all the districts to chalk out a concrete action plan on how they will manage the hotspots and prevent the spread of coronavirus post April 20," Awasthi said.
Emergency services will be started only in those hospitals where personal protective equipment (PPE) kits and N-95 masks are available in adequate numbers.
The chief minister asked officials to ensure that health workers involved in treatment of COVID-19 patients across the state's districts have enough N-95 masks, PPE kits and other equipment.
He also directed all district magistrates to come up with a concrete plan to restart industrial units in the state from April 20, subject to certain conditions.
Efforts should be made to ensure that nutritious food is delivered to pregnant women, young girls and children, Adityanath said.
He said it must be ensured that all shelter homes are regularly sanitised and precautions taken while operating community kitchens.
He also gave instructions that fodder be made available to various 'gaushalas' (cow shelters) in the state.
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