Mamata urges migrant workers from West Bengal to return home, start business

CM Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday urged migrant workers from West Bengal working in other states to return home and start their own businesses.

Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday urged migrant workers from West Bengal working in other states to return home and start their own businesses.

Addressing a programme on MSMEs here, she said her government was working to prepare a list of migrant workers, which would be done at the ‘Duare Sarkar’ (government at doorstep) camps.

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“Why are you going to other states to work and not opting for the Rs 5 lakh loan (being provided by the state government)? Why are you leaving your family here to work elsewhere? I will ask you all to come back,” she said, listing the initiatives taken by her government to attract investments to the state.

Banerjee said her government has launched a scheme in which Rs 5 lakh is offered as loans to entrepreneurs, and the government is itself the guarantor.

“I urge people to use that money and work here instead of going to other states,” she added.

“While migrant workers travel to other states for marginally better pay, there is no safety. The quality of life is poor as people have to live in shared spaces away from their families. I urge the migrant workers to come back, and we will ensure livelihood for them,” she said.

The chief minister said a committee has been formed with Rajya Sabha MP Samirul Islam as its head to look into the issues of migrant workers.

Banerjee said the state would auction government land occupied by encroachers.

Claiming that West Bengal is at the top in the MSMEs, she said that over 1.5 crore people of the state work in the sector.

She also announced that the MSME sector would be the focus of the Bengal Global Business Summit, which is scheduled on November 21 and 22.

“I will ask the chief secretary and home secretary to ensure that small business owners are given identity cards from the state government,” she said.

Banerjee announced that under the ‘Krishak Bandhu’ scheme, a compensation of Rs 2 lakh will be given to the family of a farmer in case of accidental death or serious injuries.

The same compensation was announced for ‘tant’ workers as well.

From the programme, Banerjee also inaugurated state-run showrooms at Dakshinapan in Kolkata and New Digha in Purba Medinipur.