Over 75,000 migrant labourers working outside West Bengal have applied under the Mamata Banerjee Government’s Shramasree programme, expressing interest in returning to the state, labour department officials said, adding that the verification process had started and that 1,000 of them had started receiving the monthly allowance of Rs 5,000.

The chief minister has announced two benefits for returning migrant workers under the Shramasree scheme, launched in August: a one-time payment of Rs 5,000 and a Rs 5,000 monthly allowance for a year during the rehabilitation phase. To avail of these benefits, migrant labourers have to apply through a mobile app. The labour department is seeking police help for verification.

Labor Minister Malay Ghatak said that since 2011, Banerjee had taken several steps for the development of workers.

“When West Bengal workers are facing threats in other states, she has come forward to stand by them. And the workers want to return home with trust in the project launched by her. We are also considering welcoming those who return and start work here after Kali Puja,” he said.

Migrant Workers Welfare Association Chairman and Rajya Sabha MP Samirul Islam thanked the chief minister for the scheme.

Seven lakh migrant workers have registered on the Karmsathi portal in the last two months following alleged harassment in other states for speaking Bengali.

The Government launched the Karmasathi portal in 2023 to collect information about migrant workers. As many as 22,40,000 migrant workers had registered on the portal till August.
The number of migrant workers who have registered on the portal has reached 29 lakhs, according to sources.