Eligible migrant workers registered under West Bengal’s 2023 Migrant Worker Welfare Scheme can receive a Shramashree rehabilitation allowance of Rs 5,000 per month for up to 12 months. Payments end sooner if the worker is rehabilitated through alternative employment. The scheme also provides a separate, one-time Rs 5,000 travel grant for the return to the worker’s native place in West Bengal.
What are the two Rs 5,000 benefits?
| Benefit | Amount and timing | Purpose or limit |
|---|---|---|
| Travel assistance | Rs 5,000 once | For the eligible worker’s return to their native place in West Bengal. |
| Rehabilitation allowance | Rs 5,000 per month | For up to 12 months, or until rehabilitation through alternative employment, whichever occurs earlier. It is intended to help meet immediate needs, including those of distressed families. |
The Labour Department notification describes the monthly allowance as a time-limited benefit, not an ongoing payment. These terms are set out in the official Shramashree Scheme, 2025 notification.
Who is eligible for Shramashree?
The notification covers registered migrant labourers under the West Bengal Migrant Worker Welfare Scheme, 2023, who wish to return to their native places in West Bengal. It specifies Aadhaar or EPIC issued in West Bengal, or a parent’s Aadhaar or EPIC showing a West Bengal residential address. Bengali identity alone is not the stated eligibility test, and the notification does not say that registration can be skipped.
The government’s stated rationale refers to Bengali-speaking migrant workers and their families facing discrimination in some states, and to workers who wish to return but risk losing their livelihoods. That is the government’s explanation for the policy, not an independent measure of how widespread discrimination is.
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How do you apply?
- Use the Karmasathi portal or mobile app to submit an application to the Registering Authority, as directed by the scheme notification.
- Provide the documents and details requested for your case. The original notification lists Aadhaar or EPIC, or a registered property deed in the applicant’s or parent’s name; proof of employment outside West Bengal, if any; and bank-account details.
- Check the current portal and official guidance before submitting. The Labour Department’s 24 February 2026 corrigendum partially modifies the earlier implementation guidelines, so an older copied checklist may not reflect the current process.
What happens after you apply?
Submitting an application does not by itself establish eligibility or guarantee payment. Under the revised directions, officials check or approve registration, assess uploaded eligibility documents, review the applicant’s location and journey information, consider the reason for return, and forward claims for sanction or rejection. The corrigendum also describes police verification at the worker’s native place, including checking return information with neighbours and a local elected representative. It does not establish a guaranteed processing time.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What do the published application figures show?
In a report dated 18 October 2025, The Indian Express quoted labour department officials saying more than 75,000 migrant labourers outside West Bengal had applied expressing interest in returning, verification had begun, and about 1,000 had started receiving the monthly allowance. The report also cited government-source figures of 22.4 lakh workers registered on the portal by August 2025 and 29 lakh registrations later. Those portal-registration figures are not Shramashree applications or approved claims, and the report is a dated 2025 snapshot—not a current 2026 total.
The scheme notification sets benefit amounts and duration; the dated figures do not establish how many workers have since found alternative employment or what effect the scheme has had on migration.
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