BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha government has decided to implement the Inter-State Migrant Workmen Act, 1979 strictly for regulation of employment and service conditions of the migrant workers. It has provided a toll free number 18003456703 for the workers to seek any assistance.
Deputy chief minister KV Singh Deo has called for long-term measures within the existing development initiatives to create livelihood opportunities with better wage employment to check migration from the state.
While lack of local employment alternatives is cited as the primary reason behind migration, most of the migrant workers belong to the marginalised communities and are illiterate, Singh Deo said while chairing a meeting of the task force here on Monday. He said the migrant workers fall prey to false promises of higher wages by labour contractors.
There is an urgent need to strengthen the institutional mechanism to stop the unethical labour practices by unauthorised labour contractors, he said. According to the Labour department, 1,036 contractors have been issued licences, the validity of which has been verified 96 times. Survey of migrant workers have been completed in 29 gram panchayats of 20 blocks of Balangir, Bargarh, Kalahandi and Nuapada districts.
The meeting discussed about the possibility of developing a mobile application for registration and streamlining of various benefits for migrant workers. Introduction of a special health card for them was also discussed. The state government has constituted a 20-member task force headed by Singh Deo to examine the region-wise nature of migration and find effective solutions to the problem.
