Job Gaurantee Scheme for Urban Poor to be launched by Jharkhand Government

The state government of Jharkhand is likely to become the second state after Kerala in the country to launch a job guarantee scheme that will be on the lines of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA). The scheme unlike MNREGA (which focuses on providing a 100-day job for the Rural poor), will focus on providing 100-day work for the unskilled workers living in the urban areas of the state.

• The scheme aimed to enhance the livelihood security for the urban poor will be named Mukhyamantri SHRAMIK (Shahri Rozgar Manjuri For Kamgar). 
• The scheme is awaiting approval of the state cabinet.
• Ayyankali Urban Employment Guarantee Scheme (AUEGS) is the 100-day employment guarantee scheme of the Kerala Government for urban poor.

How the Scheme will be different from MNREGA?

• On 21^st June 2020, the Urban Development Secretary of Jharkhand has informed the media that the scheme will also have a provision under for unemployment allowance. 
• This allowance will only be applicable when if a local body fails to provide a job within 15 days to the unskilled worker.
• As per information provided in media, for the first 30 days a beneficiary of the scheme will be entitled to one-fourth of the wages as unemployment allowance, while if the local body fails to provide job during the next 30 days then the beneficiary will be provided with half of the total 100 days work wage entitled.