To enable the daily wage earners to make the two ends meet amid the Covid -19 Pandemic, Department of the Labour, Kishtwar has disbursed over Rs 1.35 crore among registered labourers during last three months.Around 4320 workers were provided Rs 1000 each as first installment of COVID 19 relief in the month of the March, 2020, which amounted to Rs 43,20,000. The cash relief was provided to the labourers through DBT mode by the office of the Assistant Labour Commissioner Kishtwar.The 2nd installment of COVID-19 relief amounting to Rs. 43,20,000 was disbursed in favour of the 4320 beneficiaries through DBT in the month of April 2020.In the month of May 2020, with the increase in the number of registered workers, Rs 49,07,000 were disbursed to the accounts of the 4907 workers through DBT mode. In another major handholding extended to the labour class to survive the financial hardships, the office of the Assistant Labour Commissioner disbursed Rs. 70, 80,500, as pre-metric scholarship for the 2020 session, to 891 beneficiary wards of working class households.
The Department also reached out to Migrant Workers stuck in the district to mitigate their hardships during the coronavirus-triggered lockdown. After the easing of nationwide Lockdown, necessary arrangements were made for their return to native states.With the persistent efforts of the department, around 162 stranded laboureres belonging to states like Chhatisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand were sent back to their respective home states.The department and administration also facilitated the return of workers of Kishtwar district stuck in different parts of the country, while ensuring that none of them was left without ration, safe drinking water and other basic amenities during the lockdown.During the period, the district administration, in coordination with Labour Department, provided ration to 9589 souls in the district.The department also established a dedicated help line for migrant workers and labourers stranded at Kishtwar and received 750 calls on these helpline numbers. Likewise, the department established a help line for migrant labourers of Kishtwar stranded in various parts of the country in view of the lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic.