BALANGIR: The scourge of migration has raised its ugly head again in Balangir with hundreds of labourers moving out of the district in search of livelihood on a daily basis.
Distress migration is not a new phenomenon in Balangir. Every year, labourers, mostly landless farmers, migrate to the brick kilns of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and other South Indian States.
Bangomunda, Turekela, Belpada, Muribahal, Khaprakhol, Saintala and Titilagarh are the migration-prone blocks of the district.
As per the data provided by the district labour office, as many as 180 labour contractors have been given license by the administration this year and nearly 8,000 labourers have migrated so far.
However, unofficial sources said more than 50,000 labourers have already migrated from the district.
Most of labourers have migrated from Juba, Tentelmunda, Khalipathar villages of Belpada and Badbanki, Muribahal, Buromal, Kandhbahal, Andalpuri, Khagsa and Chausukha of Turekela block.
Kartika Rana of Fatabahal village in Muribahal block said he will be migrating to Hyderabad this month. Along with him, Ghanashyam Rana and Jugindra Ketki will also migrate in search of livelihood.
Similarly, Rasika Chhatriya, Bharat Parabhoi and Debaraj Parabhoi of Dududpada village will go to Bangalore this month.
District Labour Officer Suresh Behera said the administration has made arrangements for registration of labourers at the panchayat-level.
Besides, steps are being taken against to check illegal migration. Many labourers are being provided work under MGNREGS, he claimed.
Refuting the claim of the district administration, activist Purna Chandra Panda said the labourers are not getting work and are migrating without proper registration. The Government should be aware about the situation at the grassroots and plan accordingly, he said.
The labour sardars are hiring labourers without any registration, contract, particulars of the worksite, duration of work and fixing wages.