Odisha: 71% returnees not keen to migrate for work, says study

SAMBALPUR: A study conducted by the Centre of Excellence (Regional Development and Tribal Studies) at Sambalpur University revealed 71% of migrant workers are unwilling to go to other states if they can find regular employment in the state.
The study – Perception of Returnee Migrants on Covid-19 and Its Impact on Social and Migratory Status – was conducted among 227 migrant returnees across the four western Odisha districts of Sambalpur, Balangir, Deogarh and Bargarh.The study was conducted over phone. Among the respondents were 88 from Bargarh, 75 from Sambalpur, 35 from Balangir and 29 from Deoagrh.
Professor Arun Kumar Acharya said the people migrate from this region basically for employment. “But if regular employment opportunities can be be created here, they will not migrate. There is adequate scope for the government to create employment opportunities for them here,” Acharya said.
Citing an example, Acharya said, many people migrate to Tamil Nadu from Balangir to work in the textile factories there. “Though cotton is cultivated in Balangir, you won’t find any textile factory in Balangir area. Our people have the expertise and if they are given the opportunity to work in a textile factory here, they won’t need to migrate,” he said.
The professor also said if the agricultural infrastructure is strengthened, people can find work here itself. Regarding Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Acharya said, “MGNREGS does not provide regular jobs to the labourers and hence, they migrate to other states.”
As per the report, nearly 50% migrant returnees are below the age of 25 while 15% never attended school and 46% have studied up to primary level. Nearly 50% returnees belong to Schedule Castes and 18% are from Scheduled Tribes. Majority returnees (58%) are unmarried, though 42% said they are married and of them, 64% have they have at least one child.
Majority of the migrants returned from states of Tamil Nadu (22%), followed by Andhra Pradesh (14%), Telangana (10%) and Maharashtra (9%). Migrants also travel to Karnataka, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Tripura, and Gujarat, the study found.
The survey also revealed that there are multiple reasons behind their return home. Around 46.7% said they returned because the industries had closed down due to Covid-19, while 36.3% mentioned fear of infection drove them to come back.
The report also revealed that 88% migrants were immediately taken to the quarantine centres and of the total, 56.4% were not allowed to enter the village, while 41% claimed they are facing discrimination and isolation after returning from the quarantine centres.
According to the report, while 49% of the returnees are currently working in their agricultural field after their return, 21% are employed as daily wage labourers in their native villages or nearby villages.