Inter-State Labourer Migration Highest In Balangir, Nil In 9 Districts Of Odisha

Bhubaneswar: The government on Thursday informed that 40,088 labourers from Odisha, facilitated by 626 licensed contractors, have migrated to other states in search for jobs.

Replying to the query of Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati in the Assembly, Labour Minister Sarada Prasad Nayak said that these contractors were provided licence under the Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979, till October this year.

Elaborating further on the migrant workers, the Minister said that the highest of 26,151 belong to Balangir followed by Naupada (8,205). Altogether 1,467 people from Ganjam have left the state looking for work.

However, Angul, Bhadrak, Boudh, Deograh, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Malkangiri, Sonepur and Sundargarh districts have reported no instance of migration, he said.

The Minister also informed the House that about various measures being initiated by the government for providing employment to the migrant labourers. While 300 days of work is being provided under the MGNREGA scheme in some pockets of the state, a special package has been launched for them in 20 blocks of Balangir, Bargarh, Kalahandi and Nuapada.

Steps are also being taken to include the migrant labouers under various welfare schemes of the government, he added.

To a question by Salepur MLA Prashant Behera about death of migrant workers, Nayak said that 143 have died in other states and 10 abroad in the last three years. Bodies of all 153 have been brought back, he added.