Jharkhand Launches Employment Schemes – Economics

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Recently, Jharkhand launched three employment schemes — Birsa Harit Gram Yojana (BHGY), Neelambar Pitambar JAL Sammridhi Yojana (NPJSY) and Veer Sahid Poto Ho Khel Vikas Scheme (VSPHKVS) — to create wage employment for workers in rural areas.
Earlier, the Odisha government has announced a Rs 100-crore Urban Wage Employment Initiative to generate employment for the urban poor in 114 urban local bodies.
These three schemes have been devised in convergence with the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
Issue: According to the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CIME) data, the State is reeling under severe joblessness with unemployment rate pegged at 47.1% — double that of the national average (23.5%).
The arrival of an estimated 5 lakh to 6 lakh stranded migrant workers (due to Covid-19 lockdown) from other states is likely to worsen the situation.
Through MGNREGA and these special schemes the state government plans to create 30 crore person days and provide wage employment to the rural people in the coming 5 years.

Birsa Harit Gram Yojana (BHGY)

Envisaged at bringing over two lakh acres of unused government fallow land under the afforestation programme.
About five lakh families will be provided 100 fruit-bearing plants.
The initial plantation, maintenance, land work and afforestation will be taken up through MGNREGA.
Each family is estimated to receive an annual income of ₹50,000 from fruit harvest after three years while the ownership of land will remain with the government.

Under this, the government is aiming at creating agro-water storage units by arresting rainwater and runaway groundwater.
Nearly 5 lakh acre of cultivable land can be irrigated through the initiative.
An estimated 10 crore person days will be generated through the scheme in the next 4-5 years.

Under VSPHKVS, the government is linking sports with rural job schemes for creation of assets in the rural areas in order to give a boost to sports.
About 5,000 sports grounds are being planned to be set up, with one each in all the 4,300 panchayats.