BALANGIR: The impending drought has triggered distress migration from Balangir district. People from Belpara, Bangomunda, Turekela and Muribahal blocks have started moving out to other parts of the district and the state in search of livelihood.The district has witnessed a huge deficit in rain this year with Bangomunda, Turekela, Muribahal and Khaprakhol being the worst hit areas.
Despite a number of initiatives, distress migration from Balangir and Western Odisha districts continues unabated. Surprisingly, no official data on migration is available. As per an estimate, more than one lakh people are migrating from Balangir to work in brick kilns across the country. Shockingly, 30,000 among these are children.
While the Government is yet to chalk out a fool-proof plan to check migration, efforts of NGOs and civil society organisations to tackle the menace are insufficient and confined to limited areas. However, the efforts of these organisations have always influenced the Government to take proactive action to curb the exodus.Thabira Dharua, an activist of Turekela, said the Government should provide work to people within the periphery of villages. And if the Government is not able to do so, it must facilitate the process of migration. It should maintain detailed data on migration and provide insurance and other benefits to the migrant families. The issue of migration is a major concern and every stakeholder has an important role to put an end to it, he added.
PD DRDA, Balangir, Maheswar Swain said he will take stock of the situation. “People will be brought under the coverage of MGNREGS scheme and provided work. The administration will take up a special drive with help of Labour department and Railways to control the situation,” he added.Assistant Labour Commissioner, Balangir Saroj Ranjit said the district administration is advising labourers to register themselves at the panchayat level. “We are also trying to register the labourers as beneficiaries under Building and Other Construction Workers Act,” said Saroj.
While safe, dignified and secured migration is a fundamental right of every citizen of India, the current pattern of exodus in this district has become a serious concern for the Government as well as civil society organisations because of the abuse and atrocities attached with it.