BHUBANESWAR: With the Covid-19 situation worsening continuously, the State government is now faced with a huge problem of migrants returning to Odisha from across the country apprehending a longer spell of lockdown and job loss.
However, as 30 percent of the nearly 10 lakh migrants had not returned following the first wave of the Covid-19 last year, the government is expecting about six to seven lakh returnees this time.
According to Minister for Labour and Employees State Insurance Sushant Singh migrants have started arriving to the State. Stating that quarantine centres with beds are being started, he said that this time the temporary medical centres (TMCs) will be set up at the Zilla Parishad zone level and not at the panchayat level like last time. He maintained that the influx of migrants will be less compared to last time.
The government is expecting majority of migrants to arrive from the Chhattisgarh side. However, Labour Commissioner N Thirumala Naik told this paper that the situation is still under control till now.
Though migrants have started coming, these belong to all sectors including students. Migrant workers will start coming once there is prolonged lockdown in other states.
Now lockdown in most of the places is for one week and industries are open, he said and added that the government is keeping a close watch on the situation.
He said that it is very difficult to assess before hand the number of migrants who will arrive in the State as the situation is different from the first wave when industries had closed down.
However, Umi Daniel, Director, migration and education, Aide et Action International, told this paper that the situation is more serious this time.
Last time when complete lockdown was declared across the country, the daily infection count was only 500, but this time the daily Covid-19 positive rate is 3.3 lakh for the last several days, he said and added that only keeping the migrants under quarantine in TMCs will not be adequate.
He said that the State government should ramp up health facilities at the TMC level as many of the migrant returnees are likely to turn out Covid-19 positive.