Why in News?

• The Jharkhand government has recently launched three labour intensive programmes to restore the rural economy.
• The schemes have been launched seeing the possibility of a steep rise in the rate of unemployment in villages due to the arrival of large-scale stranded migrant workers from Other States.

Highlights:

• The three schemes have been devised in convergence with the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA).
• The schemes are— Birsa Harit Gram Yojana (BHGY), Neelambar Pitambar JAL Sammridhi Yojana (NPJSY) and Veer Sahid Poto Ho Khel Vikas Scheme (VSPHKVS) — to create wage employment for workers in rural areas.

Birsa Harit Gram Yojana:

• The BHGY is envisaged at bringing over two lakh acres of unused government fallow land under the afforestation programme.
• About five lakh families will be provided 100 fruit-bearing plants.
• The initial plantation, maintenance, land work and afforestation will be taken up through MGNREGA.
• Each family is estimated to receive an annual income of ₹50,000 from fruit harvest after three years while the ownership of land will remain with the government.

Neelambar Pitambar JAL Sammridhi Yojana:

• As per NPJSY, the government aims at creating agro-water storage units by arresting rainwater and runaway groundwater.
• Nearly 5 lakh acre of cultivable land can be irrigated through the initiative.
• An estimated 10 crore person days will be generated through the scheme in the next 4-5 Years.

Veer Sahid Poto Ho Khel Vikas Scheme:

• Under VSPHKVS, as many as 5,000 sports grounds will be developed across the State.
• The government hopes to generate one crore person days through the scheme in the current financial year.

Concern:

• According to the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CIME) data, the State is reeling under severe joblessness with unemployment rate pegged at 47.1% — double that of the national average (23.5%).
• The arrival of an estimated 5 lakh to 6 lakh migrant workers is likely to worsen the situation.