Bengal government launches special drive to bring over 22 lakh migrant workers under rural job scheme

PTI, August 25, 2026, Kolkata: With more than 22 lakh migrant workers identified across West Bengal, the state government has launched a special drive to bring their families under the rural employment guarantee programme and ensure that eligible adult members get access to wage-based work, an official said on Tuesday.

According to government data, 22,24,060 migrant workers have been identified in 22 districts, with Murshidabad accounting for the highest number at 3,86,191, followed by Malda with 2,86,329 and Cooch Behar with 1,44,916, he said.

The Panchayats and Rural Development Department has directed all districts to identify migrant worker families that have not yet been issued rural employment guarantee cards and ensure that they receive them at the earliest.

District administrations have also been asked to verify cards already issued and ensure 100 per cent coverage of the identified families.

“The objective is not merely to issue cards. Eligible adult members of these families should be able to demand work and get wage-based employment. The district administrations have been asked to ensure this,” the official said.

The official said the focus was on ensuring that the exercise translated into actual employment for eligible members of migrant worker families.

The department has asked the districts to conduct the special campaign on the basis of district-wise data of migrant workers available with the Labour Department. The administrations have been instructed to track the identified families and bring them under the card system.

It also said that once the cards are issued, eligible adult members should be able to seek employment under the programme and receive wage-based work.

The government data shows that after Murshidabad, Malda and Cooch Behar, Paschim Medinipur has 1,68,570 identified migrant workers, Nadia 1,61,908, Purba Medinipur 1,57,376 and South 24 Parganas 1,50,987.

North 24 Parganas has 1,27,936 identified migrant workers, while Purba Bardhaman has 1,12,452 and Birbhum 95,946. Hooghly accounts for 61,177 and Howrah 59,474.

Purulia has 49,156 identified migrant workers, Bankura 38,502, Jalpaiguri 30,731 and South Dinajpur 28,516. Alipurduar has 15,751, Jhargram 10,618 and Darjeeling 10,069.

The number of identified migrant workers stands at 3,860 in Paschim Bardhaman and 3,435 in Kalimpong, the lowest among the 22 districts.

The initiative is aimed at strengthening livelihood security among rural families and reducing the need for migration in search of employment, according to the departmental directive.