The deputy chairman of the Uttarakhand rural development and migration commission, S S Negi has said that data of the migrants who have returned back to their villages during the recent pandemic is being compiled which would be used to formulate plans for creating self employment opportunities for them. He was addressing a national webinar on Covid-19 Human resources migration challenges and opportunities organised by Centre for Public Policy, Doon University, Dehradun on Friday. He asserted that the returnees due to Covid-19 pandemic cannot be termed as reverse migration as it remains to be seen as to how many of them actually would stay back and adopt self employment in their villages and how many are eager to go back to the industrial cities after things become normal.
Presiding over the programme, the Vice Chancellor (VC) of Doon University, A K Karnatak said that migration is a natural phenomenon and humans migrate in search of better opportunities. He opined that returning migrants are from unorganised sector and if the government takes care of this sector then the problem can be solved to an extent. Apart from developing self employment opportunities in the villages, the VC advocated better health and education facilities in the villages. Senior Journalist Yogesh Bhatt strongly advocated for the need of radical changes in the planning and said that Indian Rural Services should be set up for villages. He presented a model of economic development of rural areas and concept of smart villages. Manoj Kumar Pant of state planning department said that the state government is preparing a long term plan for the migrants who have returned to their villages so that employment opportunities can be created for them. He claimed that a plan is on the anvil to train youth on artificial intelligence, data science and machine learning for making the economy knowledge based.
Journalist Vikas Dhulia said that 50 percent of the migration outside the state has occurred in search of jobs. He said that providing employment to returnees is a big challenge as already there are more than 11 lakh registered unemployed youths in the state.
The chairman of Uttarakhand Industries association, Pankaj Gupta said that the coming back of migrants has the potential to become an important engine for the economy of the state. He emphasised the need for proper training in providing self employment opportunities.
The former VC of Kumaon University D K Nauriyal said that the Covid-19 pandemic has adversely affected the economic activities. He said that the government has taken many measures to support the economy and their effect would provide impetus to the economy in the coming times. The webinar was moderated by Dean Student Welfare of Doon University H C Purohit.
