West Bengal Launches ‘Shramshree’ Scheme to Support Returning Bengali Migrant Workers.
Goverment Scheme
The Government of West Bengal has launched the ‘Shramshree’ Scheme to provide financial and social support to Bengali migrant workers returning to the state. The scheme aims to create livelihood opportunities and ensure rehabilitation for workers impacted by job losses outside the state.
- The Shramshree Scheme is targeted at migrant workers who had been employed in other Indian states but were compelled to return to West Bengal due to economic challenges, layoffs, or social reasons. The scheme will ensure both skill development and immediate financial assistance to help workers re-establish themselves.
- The initiative will be implemented under the Labour Department of West Bengal, with active monitoring by the state government. Returning workers will be registered under a special state portal, and beneficiaries will receive direct benefit transfers (DBTs) in their bank accounts.
Main Point :- (i) A one-time financial grant will be provided to each eligible worker along with access to state welfare schemes, housing assistance, and employment linkages in local industries, MSMEs (Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises), and agriculture. The state also plans to integrate vocational training programs.
(ii) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced that the scheme will not only provide relief but also reduce the vulnerability of workers migrating outside the state. She emphasized that the scheme aims to transform migration challenges into opportunities for localized growth.
(iii) The scheme is expected to benefit lakhs of returning migrant workers, particularly from districts such as Murshidabad, Malda, North 24 Parganas, and South Dinajpur, which have traditionally been high out-migration regions of West Bengal.
About West Bengal
Chief minister: Mamata Banerjee
Governor: C. V. Ananda Bose
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