Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday launched a scheme along the lines of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) to provide 100 days of employment to families in urban areas.
Terming the Indira Gandhi Urban Employment Scheme (IGUES) historic, Gehlot said any family that wants to increase their income at a time of high inflation could apply for jobs under it.
The scheme was prepared after studying similar programmes introduced in other states, he added after launching the programme during a state-level event at Ambedkar Bhawan in Jaipur.
Ten women beneficiaries were presented job cards during the function.
Under the scheme, projects on environment protection, water conservation, heritage conservation, maintenance of gardens, removal of encroachment, illegal sign boards, hoardings and banners, and sanitation will be undertaken.
People in the 18 to 60 age group are eligible for the scheme, under which at least 50 people in each ward of urban local bodies will be given employment.
To register for it, a Janaadhar card or its registration slip is required. Registrations can be done at e-Mitra centres. The government has allocated Rs 800 crore for the scheme, which was announced by the chief minister during this year's state budget.
"We recently held a rally in Delhi against the Centre over inflation. This fight with the Centre will run parallel in public interest but here is an excellent scheme under which various type of works will be done," Gehlot said.
The chief minister said the MGNREGA was started during the UPA government at the Centre for employment in rural areas, which had a positive outcome.
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"Employment opportunities were easily accessible to the rural unemployed people across the country. This also improved the standard of living," he said.
Gehlot said when the employment crisis increased during the coronavirus pandemic, the MGNREGA proved to be a boon.
"Keeping this in mind, the historic decision to start employment guarantee scheme for urban areas was announced in the budget," he said.
Rajasthan Local Self Government and Urban Development and Housing (UDH) Minister Shanti Dhariwal said nearly 40,000 people got the work on the first day. More than 4 lakh people have applied for registration, job cards have been issued to 2.50 lakh people, he said.
The chief minister also highlighted other initiatives of the state government, including the Chiranjeevi Health Insurance Scheme. The state government has made treatment free under the Chiranjeevi scheme so that the poor do not need to sell their belongings to get treatment, he said.
Gehlot said his government will give smartphones with three years of free internet connection to 1.35 crore women.
He also highlighted the state government's initiative to open Mahatma Gandhi English Medium schools to provide education to children in English medium, and a scheme to distribute free sanitary napkins to women.
The CM also talked about the problems faced by people living in slums and said the state government will regularise “kucchi bastis”.
He also interacted with labourers and distributed necessary tools to them.
The state-level function was held at Ambedkar Bhawan near Tunnel Chauraha in the state capital. The programme was telecast live.
Jaipur Heritage Municipal Corporation Mayor Munesh Gurjar, local MLAs Rafiq Khan and Amin Kagzi, the chairperson of the Social Welfare Board, Archana Sharma, were also present on the occasion.