ROURKELA: Migration is an unavoidable reality in Sundargarh. Illiterate tribal labourers continue to suffer at the hands of their employers in alien lands due to institutional failure, poor implementation of Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979 and lack of awareness among the victims.
The Odisha Government swung into action on Tuesday after it came to light that a tribal worker of Burla village in Hemgir block was attacked with acid by his employer at Vizianagaram in Andhra Pradesh and five others have been held captive. The State Labour Commissioner has written to his Andhra Pradesh counterpart to rescue the trapped workers. A team of Labour department officials and police has been formed to visit the neighbouring State.
District Labour Officer Pranab Patra said the acid attack victim Jaidev Chandania was on Wednesday admitted to District Headquarters Hospital and later shifted to VIMSAR, Burla. The district administration has released Rs 25,000 from Red Cross funds for his treatment.
Social activist Subhashree Ray said despite frequent incidents of human trafficking and labour migration from Sundargarh district, no mechanism has been put in place for keeping a record of migrants. There is a need for registration of migrating workers at the gram panchayat level. “If a database of workers is maintained at gram panchayat level, the administration would know the volume of migration and efficacy of rural livelihood schemes. Migrant workers in distress will also be able to seek Government help,” she said while insisting on the need to sensitise migrant workers on registering themselves before leaving the district for work.
Sources in the Labour Department said voluntary and scattered migration by labours is a big challenge as there is no way to find out when and where a labourer is migrating.
Another loophole is the inter-state labour law that mandates the issuance of licence to a labour contractor who takes more than five workers.
So far, only four such licences have been issued in Sundargarh and most of them are on the verge of expiring. The DLO said block authorities and sarpanches of the district have been asked to keep a record of migrant workers.