BHUBANESWAR: The State Government is all set to implement second phase of work plan to reduce distress migration and ensure safety of workmen migrating to other States in search of livelihood.Inaugurating a workshop on ‘Safety and Welfare of Inter-State Migrant Workmen in Odisha’, Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi called upon all the stakeholders to work out an integrated and intensive work plan for minimising distress migration in 11 identified districts.The Chief Secretary advised the stakeholder to develop the second phase of the work plan on the basis of learning experience and feedback received during the first phase of action from 2014-15 to 2017-18.
Acknowledging the initiatives taken by Labour and ESI Department in rescuing migrant workmen from difficult situation, providing care and education of the migrating workmen families and setting up help desks for Odia workmen in the destination states like Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Delhi, Padhi asked the department to provide alternative livelihood options in the migration-prone districts.
Since the liaison officers at destination States have a very crucial role to play in rescue of the workers in distress, they should be trained and oriented properly, he added.Principal Secretary Labour and ESI Anu Garg said the work plan will focus on how to prevent distress migration and what are the ways and means to provide them alternative livelihood options. Regulation of voluntary migration, education and care of the children of migrating families, rescue models, integration of help desks with various enforcement agencies and departments, application of technology for instant transmission of messages and quicker action would be other focus areas.
Labour Commissioner Sachin Yadav said 11 districts Bargarh, Kalahandi, Nuapada, Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput, Nabarangpur and Khurda have been identified as migration-prone districts. As many as 1309 panchayats in these districts have been brought under the orbit of 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 in the State is 155368 while for the labourers working outside Odisha the number is 18003456703.
Yadav said 206 seasonal hostels for children of migrating families have been set up in different migration prone GPs. Around 9000 students could be retained in these seasonal schools during this year.
Director Programme Design, Tata Trust, Nayantara Sabavala and Regional Director Tata Trust Jitendra Patnaik addressed the inaugural session.The State Government had signed an MoU with Tata Trust last year for intense action in 30 migration prone GPs of Balangir and Nuapada districts.