BHUBANESWAR: Odisha Government has planned several special interventions to reduce distress migration in Western Odisha, especially Balangir and Nuapada districts.The interventions include enhancement of workdays under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) from 100 days a year to 200 days and recruitment in the Army.
An official of the Labour Department said enhancement of wage at par with minimum wage for those taking up work under the scheme is under active consideration of the Government. A corpus fund for MGNREGS has already been constituted to ensure timely payments under the scheme which is a key intervention, he added.
It has been decided to implement special interventions in migration-prone districts by converging Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment, Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water, School and Mass Education, Home, Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare, Fisheries and Animal Husbandry, Skill Development and Technical Education and Water Resources departments.
As per the decision taken at a recent high-level meeting chaired by Principal Secretary of Labour and ESI department Anu Garg, ration for migrant families will be given in advance for three months beginning September.
Along with other interventions of Agriculture department, focus will be on horticulture crops and maximum saturation of households to be made in these areas for poultry and fisheries.
Mission Shakti and Odisha Livelihood Mission will work together for strengthening self help groups (SHGs) with bank linkage in these areas and priority will be given to women SHGs for their income augmentation.
While special steps for ensuring pucca houses for migrant households will be expedited through Prime Minister Awas Yojana (PMAY) and Nirman Shramik Pucca Ghar Yojana (NSPGY), skilling under Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) and education of children in ITIs will be prioritised.
On Tuesday, the Government deputed three senior officers to monitor anti-migration initiatives taken with a view to check possible distress migration from the State.
State Labour Commissioner, Director (Special Project) of Panchyati Raj and Director of Odisha Livelihood Mission will visit key areas in the districts and monitor intervention strategies on a regular basis.
Two senior officers from Labour Directorate have also been asked to camp at Balangir and Nuapada for strict enforcement of Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979.
Priority areas
Focus on horticulture crops, poultry and fisheries
Mission Shakti and Odisha Livelihood Mission will work together for strengthening SHGs with bank linkage
Priority to women SHGs for income augmentation
Special steps for ensuring pucca houses for migrant households will be expedited through PMAY and NSPGY
Skilling under (DDU-GKY and education of children in ITIs