Odisha CM Announces More Mandays Under Rural Job Scheme & Hike In Daily Wage To Stop Migration

Bhubaneswar: To stop the migration of the labourers from Odisha in search of work, the state government on Wednesday announced a special package for non-resident labourers of 11 districts.

Announcing the special package during a function at Jayadev Bhawan here, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said the state government has decided to increase the workdays of the non-resident labourers of Bargarh, Balangir, Nuapada and Kalahandi districts to 200 workdays instead of 100 mandays under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) with a hike in their daily wage from Rs 188 to Rs 286.30.

Apart from this, the women members of the family of these labourers in 20 blocks of these four districts will be included in the Self-Help Groups (SHGs).

The eligible family will be provide pucca houses and youths in 18-35 age group  provided vocational training, he added.

Apart from these four districts, the state government has also decided to bring all women SHG members in the seven districts of Sonepur, Ganjam, Gajapati, Koraput, Rayagada, Nabarangpur and Khurda under insurance cover, the Chief Minister said.

To provide timely payment of wages to these labourers, the state government will form a corpus fund of Rs 500 crore, he added.

The other announcements of the special direction by the Chief Minister are as follows:

—A drive will be undertaken for all eligible construction workers for their registration under the Odisha Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board and will be given marriage assistance, pension, educational assistance and pucca houses along with other admissible benefits.
—Deployment of Shramik Mitra (focal point for migrant workers in panchayats) will be done for all panchayats in 20 blocks.
—District level MIS (management information system) and central database at the state level will be in place to track the migrant workers and ensure their linkage in the welfare schemes. Besides, a comprehensive communication strategy will be prepared for behaviour change communication in these areas.

The Chief Minister said that the state government has initiated innovative steps through a State Action Plan not only to prevent distress migration in 11 migration prone districts of our state but also to ensure safety and welfare of Odia migrant workers in other states.

The State Action Plan for Migrant Workers through its various components namely Shramik Sahayata Tollfree help Line, Migration Support & Resource Centres in four districts, Odisha Migrant Labour Help desk in three states, seasonal hostels for children of migrant workers in the four migration prone districts and mechanism for immediate rescue of distressed migrant workers have ensured a sense of confidence amongst migrant workers. Besides, collaboration with Tata Trusts and National Law University have been made which has led to a pilot survey of 30 panchayats in three blocks of Balangir and Nuapada districts which has now extended to additional 70 panchayats in four blocks of these two districts, he added.

On the occasion, the Chief Minister inaugurated e-Shramik Samadhan portal and 24×7 Shramik Sahayata Helpline.