Bhubaneswar: To curb distress migration, the Mohan Majhi government has directed collectors of 11 vulnerable districts in Odisha to implement convergence mode employment programmes guaranteeing 200 to 300 workdays annually.
Distress migration is prevalent in 30 blocks of Bargarh, Balangir, Nuapada, Kalahandi, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Gajapati, Rayagada, Malkangiri and Sonepur districts.
Presiding over a high-level meeting here, chief secretary Manoj Ahuja emphasised on creating local employment by bringing Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme of the Panchayati Raj department, afforestation under the Forest department and livelihood works under SC and ST Development department under convergence mode.
The officers concerned were also told to create a comprehensive database of migrant families and ensure better enforcement of anti-migration laws. The identified persons in the 30 migration-prone blocks will be provided labour-intensive work for next three months under different schemes launched by the government to prevent distress migration. Interest on loans taken by these persons will also be waived.
“Our focus is on creating sustainable livelihood opportunities within the state,” the chief secretary said.
The Panchayati Raj Department will lead the initiative, coordinating with various departments, including Agriculture, Horticulture, and Fisheries. Officials of the Labour Department have been asked to visit the states where labourers from Odisha migrate for work and study their situation and cause of migration.