'Unemployment Allowance, Subsidized Meals': Here's Five State-Run Schemes Aimed To Benefit Less Advantaged

Government schemes are announced from time to time and implemented for the welfare of the community—to provide financial and economic support to the citizens in an attempt to improve their quality of life.

These schemes address the health, nutritional, livelihood, and various socio-economic challenges faced by the masses, thereby contributing to the development of the country. The beneficiaries of most of the individual schemes include the rural people, urban poor, low-income families, economically backward sections of the society.

Here's a list of unique schemes rolled out to benefit the commoners by five states.

Jharkhand

With the last two years of the COVID-19 pandemic bringing the entire world to a grinding halt, it became inevitable for the governments to step up their game in aiding and assisting the underprivileged.

India witnessed a reverse migration of people, belonging to the unorganized sector, from cities to their villages in search of employment and shelter. To tackle the challenge, the Hemant Soren-led Jharkhand government introduced the 'Birsa Harit Gram Yojana.

Under this scheme, the government intended to make beneficiaries self-reliant. It sought to utilise approximately two lakh acres of unused government fallow land for afforestation.

Around five lakh families were to be given nearly 100 fruit-bearing plants; with the initial plantation, maintenance, land work, and afforestation work taken up through MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act), leading to the plantation of five crore plants in the whole state.

One of the important aspects of this scheme was to make the person engaged in the afforestation purpose 'Atma nirbhar' as s/he would be taking care of it while reaping the benefits of the produce. The ownership of the land, however, would remain with the government.

Odisha

Odisha's 'Aahaar Scheme' was rolled out as a food subsidisation program that intended to ensure not a single person goes empty stomach and good hygienic food was being provided to the citizens in the state. It was also aimed at eliminating malnutrition.

Launched in 2015, the scheme provides cooked hot meals, including boiled rice and Dalma, at a subsidised rate of Rs 5 to the urban poor.

In 2016, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik dedicated 100 Aahaar Centres to the poor and needy people of the state. Around 67,000 underprivileged people are reportedly getting benefited every day in the state. They include patients, attendants of patients, construction workers, labourers, rickshaw pullers, auto drivers, street children, needy students, destitute, rag pickers, etc.

In February 2019, the Chief Minister launched 38 new centres in the state. Now, a total of 157 Aahaar Centres run across the state.

Rajasthan

Rajasthan government launched the 'Mukhyamantri Yuva Sambal Yojana', simply known as the unemployment allowance scheme to provide financial assistance to unemployed graduates in the state.

According to a Times of India report dated September 12, 2021, certain changes were made to this scheme and required approval from the Chief Minister's Office. The repackaged version got a green signal, earlier this month.

A beneficiary would have to go for a compulsory four-hour duty per day for five days a week at state government offices, agencies, or Anganwadi centres. The employment allowance would be increased from Rs 3,5000 to Rs 4,500 for girls, specially-abled individuals, and transgender persons.

For boys, the allowance would be raised from Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,000. Moreover, two lakh beneficiaries would be eligible for the scheme every year.

As per reports, 24,177 beneficiaries agreed to do an internship under the scheme, and 16,787 were willing to undertake skills training.

Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Dhami launched the 'Milk Price Incentive Scheme', last year, to increase milk production and related activities in the state

Estimated to benefit around 53,000 people in the state, the scheme intends to encourage rural and urban youth to take up milk production and dairy activities as a source of livelihood.

Assistance to the beneficiaries will be provided through Direct Bank Transfer. The government has intended to begin 500 milk sale centres in the state with an expense of Rs. 444.62 crores.

Uttar Pradesh

The Uttar Pradesh government's 'Old Age Pension Scheme' provides financial assistance to the elderly. Eligible senior citizens, including permanent residents of the state and those above 60 years of age, are entitled to receive monthly benefits under the program.

As per reports, in the financial year 2021-22, the number of beneficiaries under the scheme for the first quarter was 55,97,245 and Rs 834.21 crore were transferred.

In quarter 2, there were 55,56,773 beneficiaries and Rs 834.29 crore were transferred. In quarter 3, a total of 55,99,998 beneficiaries received Rs 853.40 crore.

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