Thursday 9 June 2011

Migrant Labourers From Odisha

The Indian population stands at about 1.12 billion and out of which approximately 30 billion population are cyclic migrant labourers. In Odisha migration has increased by a whooping 116 percent with irregularities at many points by state government as reported by CAG (Comptroller Auditor General) report.
As per the 2001 census total migration in Odisha was at 10.8 million. Out of which women constitute 80% of the total migration at 8.4 million. The large women migration was reported within intra-district movement which was 6.4 million. The inter-state migration report was quite shocking which reported as the women outnumber male with 60% and the male migration was 40%.As per 2001 census women migration was determined under certain factors like education, unemployment ,marriage, starvation etc.
In Orissa migration of labourers to other States is more in comparison as per 2001 census. Migrant Odiya labourers in Surat only constitute 0.8 million, and a conservative estimate of migration poor people from south, north, western and the central region of Orissa is estimated to be 1.5 million.
The high economic growth cities like Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Kolkata, Mumbai, Surat, Kerala and neighboring state such as Raipur, Vishakhapatnam and mining rich regions of Jharkhand has been the major hub for Oriya migrant labourers. Sectors like, construction, textile, mining, brick kiln, poultry, plantation, agriculture, stone quarries, cotton ginning, apparel, rubber plantations have been the favorite employments providers for the migrant people.
Though Odisha government is claming that poverty has reduced ,yet migration is increasing from all parts of the state to neighbor states like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka , Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, West Bengal, Assam, Kerala and other places in search of jobs, only to face exploitation, torture and even losing their lives there.

Recently a woman from Bolangir District was rescued from a brick kiln in Karnataka by the Bangalore Commissionorate Police at Arsenpalli near Swamiji College about 30 km from the capital.

Government of Odisha has recently formulated the rules and going to set up the State Labour Welfare Board with adequate staffing, for the migrant workers who are mostly engaged in the construction work and will get various social security benefits under its schemes. However, all the workers need to be registered at the Labour Office with necessary identification testimonials.
There are some benefits which are to be provided to registered labourers by State Welfare Board like Accident benefits, pension benefits, group insurance, loans and advances for house constructions etc.

No comments:

Post a Comment