Bihar govt announces package for migrants fleeing Assam

PATNA: The Bihar government has launched a composite package for rehabilitation of the migrant labourers fleeing Assam in the wake of ULFA's violence against the Hindi-speaking people, a senior state minister said on Wednesday.

Under the package, which has been implemented with immediate effect, Rs one crore has been made available to each of the 23 districts covered under the National Rural Employment Guarante programme, state Rural Development Minister Baidyanath Prasad Mahto said.

He said the families fleeing Assam would be issued job cards by the panchayats immediately.

In the rest 15 districts covered under the State Rural Employment Guarantee programme, the district rural development authorities have been asked to use funds available with the administrative blocks and panchayats, he said.

The minister said for eligible persons belonging to the violence-hit families seeking self-employment, the government would facilitate loans through banks.

Besides, the government would make efforts for forming self-help groups consisting of the families hit by sectarian violence and provide dwellings under the Indira Awas Yojana.

The state government has already announced an ex-gratia of Rs one lakh to the next of kin of each of those killed in the violence that rocked Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Dhemaji and Sibsagar districts of Assam.