BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday announced a hike in variable dearness allowance (VDA) and financial assistance worth Rs 150 crore for workers across the state.
Addressing a state-level function to mark the International Workers’ Day, the chief minister emphasised the need to ensure fair wages, social security and safe working conditions for the workers.
Majhi announced a Rs 10 increase in daily VDA, effective retrospectively from April 1. With this revision, minimum daily wages have been raised to Rs 472 for unskilled workers, Rs 522 for semi-skilled, Rs 572 for skilled and Rs 622 for highly skilled labourers.
The chief minister said over five lakh construction workers have been registered under the Odisha Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board during 2025-26, with assistance exceeding Rs 541 crore disbursed.
On the day, identity cards were distributed to 6,000 workers, alongside various benefits related to education, marriage and death assistance. He also laid the foundation for 50 permanent offices for labour officials across the state, with an estimated cost of Rs 130 crore.
Addressing migration concerns, Majhi said that industrial growth and skill development initiatives are beginning to reverse distress migration. Workers from industrial hubs like Tiruppur and Coimbatore are returning to Odisha for employment in the state’s growing textile sector.
“Within just 22 months of our government coming to power, 92,000 young men and women have secured employment in the private sector. Out of these, 10,000 youth have returned from other states and are working in Odisha. To provide year-round work for labourers, our government is launching the ‘Dalkhai Yojana’. This will be a key means to prevent the issue of distress migration (Dadan),” Majhi said.
On the occasion, five labour leaders Sumita Mahapatra of Bhadrak district, Kishore Chandra Jena of Cuttack district, Gokul Meher of Sambalpur district, Madan Mohan Dhala of Bhubaneswar and Prashant Kumar Padhi of Burla, Sambalpur were honoured with the Chief Minister’s Shramik Bandhu Samman for their contributions to workers’ welfare.
