BHUBANESWAR: As the state is confronted with large-scale migration despite launching of host of schemes, the departmentally-related standing committee on labour and employment suggested the state government to formulate a state migration policy to tackle the problem more efficiently.
Expressing concern over the continued migration and an increasing number of child labour in the state, the committee in its report which was tabled in the Assembly recently further suggested the department to conduct a fresh survey to find out the exact number of migrants and child labourers and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on them.
“The department has taken up some sporadic initiatives to address the issue of migrant workers. The committee feels that these (initiatives) are inadequate and need a larger inter-departmental convergence approach,” the report said.
“Looking at the magnitude of the problem, the committee feels that the state government should come up with a state migration policy to address the issue of migrant workers,” the committee observed in the report.
The department in its action-taken report said the Labour and Panchayati Raj departments have jointly identified 477 highly migrant-prone panchayats in 20 blocks of Balangir, Bargarh, Kalahandi and Nuapada districts. National Law University, Cuttack has conducted a detailed survey of 290 GPs and more than one lakh respondents.
“Earnest and Young has been entrusted with the task of preparing a three-year action plan that covers all aspects of migrant labour and their problems,” the department said.On registration of migrant men, women and children, the department said provisional voluntary registration of migrant workers has been done at GP level in 14 migration prone districts in collaboration with PR department.
A state action plan for safety and welfare of inter-state migrant workers is under implementation for these districts. Further a provision is made for for voluntary online registration of the PAR-e-SHRAM portal, it added.