With fewer migrants returning in COVID 2.0, U.P. says many stayed back after 1st wave

Just 4 lakh migrant employees returned to Uttar Pradesh in the course of the second COVID-19 wave this yr, in comparison with 40 lakh employees after the nationwide lockdown of 2020, indicating many of those employees could not have returned to their earlier workplaces after the primary wave and received gainfully employed in U.P., high State officers mentioned on Thursday.

“Last year, 40 lakh migrants came back. We assessed their skills and offered them work based on those skills in every district. We asked them if they would like to set up a unit there, while others were linked to MGNREGA,” mentioned Sidharth Nath Singh, U.P.’s minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

Stressing that U.P. was the one State to do a talent mapping train of returning migrants final yr, Additional Chief Secretary Navneet Sehgal identified that simply 4 lakh migrants have returned after restrictions had been imposed to curb the second wave in massive States like Maharashtra and Gujarat.

“This means that the rest (of the 40 lakh migrants who returned in 2020) didn’t go back at all. If they didn’t go back, that means they have got some occupation here. This is a misnomer that when the lockdown happens, people will return. This time, just four lakh came back and it shows many had got work here itself,” mentioned Mr. Sehgal, who oversees MSMEs, Export Promotion, Khadi & Village Industry in the State administration.

No MSME unit in the State had closed down because of the COVID pandemic, although some could have seen a discount in their turnover, Mr. Sehgal mentioned.

“We never closed down any industries during the first or second wave. So no units closed down as such. Demand went down all over India… a portal was created to help MSMEs last year and we are working closely banks to work out a revival plan for any unit that needs help,” Mr. Singh mentioned, including that credit score ensures value ₹12,222 crore have been prolonged to 4 lakh models underneath the Centre’s Aatma Nirbhar Bharat aid bundle.

U.P.’s Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) was ₹12 lakh crore when the present authorities assumed workplace and is prone to attain ₹19 lakh crore by the point meeting elections happen in 2022, the minister mentioned. The State that had the fifth highest GSDP is now second solely to Maharashtra, he asserted.

Mr. Sehgal mentioned the important thing challenges for MSMEs have been pending GST refunds and securing dues from authorities companies aside from financial institution financing. The State has altered its procurement coverage to mandate 25% purchases from MSMEs.

A survey has been kicked off to evaluate particulars of unregistered micro and small models from the unorganised sector in order that the State might help enhance their functioning.

74 lakh new MSME models have been arrange since 2017-18 in addition to 90 lakh that already existed, whereas exports from the State grew to ₹1.21 lakh crore in 2020-21 from round ₹89,000 crore.