Berhampur: Kandhamal district administration on Wednesday directed panchayat bodies to maintain a register of migrant workers in their areas who have left or wish to travel to other states for work.
This directive follows the appearance of several posters across different locations advertising private bus services from Raikia to Kerala every Friday. Authorities launched an inquiry to determine whether the posters were placed by middlemen illegally forcing labourers from the district to migrate.
“The inquiry revealed that not only from Kandhamal, but people from some other districts like Ganjam, Boudh, Khurda, and Kendrapada also use these buses, which operate as tourist vehicles,” said Sambhunath Nandi, chief executive officer (CEO), Zilla Parishad, Kandhamal.
He noted that at least two buses carrying workers from the area have been departing for Kerala every week for the past few years. However, as per Nandi, the inquiry revealed that most people are willingly travelling to Kerala for work and are not being coerced.
Despite this, the administration has instructed panchayats to maintain a register of migrant workers. “This will help the district administration reach out to migrant workers in times of trouble,” Nandi added.
Additionally, the district labour officer (DLO) and regional transport officer (RTO) have been asked to conduct surprise checks on these Kerala-bound buses to identify potential middlemen or labour contractors coercing individuals into migration, he said.
Social activists argue that many people from Kandhamal are being forced to migrate due to a lack of employment opportunities within the district. “Middlemen allegedly lure them with promises of high salaries and accommodation facilities,” said Sudhir Sabat, a social activist.
Addressing these concerns, Nandi pointed out that Kandhamal ranked second in generating person-days under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) for the year to date. The district generated 83,88,515 man-days during the ongoing fiscal year. “While 59,853 projects were approved for execution, 30,864 are currently in progress,” he added.