Half of Odisha districts prone to migration, state forms task force to plug the flow

The task force will be headed by Deputy Chief Minister K V Singh Deo, with other ministers serving as members. It will discuss the problems of migrant workers, recommend measures and decide a course of action.

Patnaik’s statement came a day after senior BJP leader and Union minister Giriraj Singh advocated Bharat Ratna for Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Patnaik for their “development works” towards their states. (PTI File Photo)

The BJP government in Odisha Monday constituted a high-level task force to address distress migration, an issue used by the party as a poll plank against the previous Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government.

Distress migration due to lack of adequate employment is a major concern in Odisha. As many as 14 of its 30 districts — mostly western, southern and Coastal — have been identified as prone to migration in official records.

Odisha is one of the key source states for labourers who move to states such as Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Telangana where they work in brick kilns, construction sites and power looms, said officials.

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The task force will be headed by Deputy Chief Minister K V Singh Deo, with other ministers serving as members. It will discuss the problems of migrant workers, recommend measures and decide a course of action. The task force may also induct reputed expert members working in this field.

It will also recommend steps to be taken up by government agencies to check distress migration and mitigate sufferings.

Along with recommending programmes and schemes required to be taken up by the state government, the task force will suggest institutional frameworks for various levels.

It will meet once every six months to review progress.

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“The task force will examine the region-wise nature of migration and recommend specific interventions. It will also deliberate upon the regional variation, seasonality as well as the magnitude of the migration and recommend strategies,” said a senior government official.

To deal with the complex nature of distress migration, the task force has been told to recommend specific measures in terms of creating infrastructure and opportunities for livelihood within the state through skilling, credit availability and linking the family with anti-poverty programs.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, during his 2024 Assembly election campaign in Odisha, had attacked the previous Naveen Patnaik-led government over its “failure” to bring adequate industries to the state and to create job opportunities.

He stated that no one would have to migrate from the state once the BJP assumes power and brings in new investments.

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Considering the intensity of the problem, the previous BJD government had identified 20 vulnerable blocks with high rates of distress migration in four western districts. The BJD government had also hiked the wages by around `100 under the MGNREGA in these 20 blocks.

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