Odisha To Implement 2nd Phase Work Plan To Curb Distress Migration

Bhubaneswar: In another effort curtailing distress migration and ensuring safety of migrating Odia workmen, the state Labour and ESI department is going to implement the 2^ndphase of the work plan up to the year 2020.

This was announced at a two-day stake holder’s consultative workshop on ‘Safety and Welfare of Inter-State Migrant Workmen in Odisha’ here on Monday.

Inaugurating the workshop, chief secretary Sri Aditya Prasad Padhi asked all the stake holders to work out an integrated and intensive work plan for minimizing the distress migration in 30 migration prone GPs of Bolangir and Nuapada districts. He also asked the Labour and ESI department to extend the activities to other 11 migration prone districts.

Appreciating the initiatives taken so far by the department to provide care and education of the migrating workmen families, rescuing the workmen caught in difficult conditions and setting up the help desks for migrant Odia workmen in the destination states like Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Delhi, Padhi directed the department to make the interventions more proactive for prevention of distress migration through integrated work plan and creation of alternative livelihood options in the migration prone districts. He also asked the department to develop the 2^nd phase of the work plan on the basis of the learning, experiences and feedback received during the first phase of action from 2014-15-to 2017-18.

Stating that the Liaison Officers at destination states have a vital role to play in rescue of the workers in distress, Padhi said they should be trained and oriented accordingly.

Principal Secretary, Labour and ESI, Anu Garg said the work plan would focus on preventing distress migration of labourers and ways and means to provide them alternative livelihood options.

In his welcome address, Labour Commissioner Sachin Yadav said that 11 districts namely Bolangir, Bargarh, Kalahandi, Nuapada, Subarnapur, Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput, Nabarangpur and Khurda have been identified as migration prone districts where 1309 gram panchayats have been brought under orbit of the work plan. Two toll-free telephone numbers have been installed in Labour Directorate to provide guidance and assistance to the migrant workmen in the matters of registration, distress mitigation and rescue. The toll free number of migrant labor working inside Odisha is 155368. The toll free number for Odia migrant workers working outside Odisha is 18003456703.

Yadav also informed that 206 seasonal hostels for children of migrating families have been set up in different migration prone gram panchayats. Around 9000 students could be retained in these seasonal schools during the current year continuing their education. They otherwise would have turned migrant labors along with their parents. The institution of seasonal hostel has prevented potential child labor.

As per available data, tripartite meetings have been held among brick kiln association of Telengana, State officials of Telengana and Odisha for resolution of the issues relating to illegal migration and distress of labor. MoUs have also been signed with Odia Associations in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Madras for proactive collaboration for safety and welfare of the migrant workmen to these states.

The two day workshop would be organized in four sessions including inaugural session.

Nayantara Sabavala, Director Programme Design, Tata Trust, and Jitendra Patnaik Regional director Tata Trust addressed the inaugural session as guests of honour.

It may be pertinent to mention here that state government has signed MoU with Tata Trust of India for joint action for promoting safety and welfare of inter-state migrant workmen.