Bhubaneswar: As many as 289 migrant labourers from Odisha died while working outside the state during the last five years, the state Assembly was informed on Tuesday.
This information was shared by Labour and Employees’ State Insurance Minister Ganesh Ram Singkhuntia while answering a question by BJD MLA Ananta Narayan Jena in the House.
The Minister said that the death of these migrant workers from Odisha took place during the period 2021 to 2025 (till August).
As per the data placed by the Minister, reports of the death of 14 migrant labourers were received in 2021, which rose to 31 in 2022, 42 in 2023 and further to 120 in the year 2024. Similarly, 82 migrant labourers died till August of the current calendar year, he said.
The government has rescued a total of 5,612 distressed migrant workers from other states during the period, he said.
The minister further said that 785 migrant workers from Odisha were rescued in the year 2021, while the number went up to 1,196 in 2022 and 1,639 in the next year. Besides, the state government has rescued 1,055 and 937 migrant workers in 2024 and the current year.
The Minister further informed the House that the government had issued licenses to 1,037 contractors for employment of 70,142 migrant workers from Odisha in 2024. The licenses were issued as per provision made under the inter-state Migrant Workmen Act, 1979, he stated.
In 2025, 217 licenses were issued for migration of 11,051 workers from Odisha, he stated.
In another reply, the Minister informed the Assembly that the Odisha government has set up a high-level task force under the chairmanship of Deputy Chief Minister K V Singh Deo for taking steps towards the reduction of distress migration and mitigate the sufferings of inter-state migrant workmen in Odisha. The task force has concluded three meetings with different stakeholders for further course of action.