Bhubaneswar: A meeting of the High Level Task Force constituted to solve the problem of distressed migration labourers was held under the chairmanship of the Deputy Chief Minister and the Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Empowerment and Energy Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo today at Lok Seva Bhavan conference hall.
Nudge Foundation, is an action institute working towards poverty-free India, and is keen to work towards solving the problem of distressed migration in Odisha. Earlier, this institution has successfully completed work in West Bengal and Jharkhand.
There are two main reasons why people prefer to go out on migration: firstly because of the expected higher earnings, and secondly because of the not feasible livelihood options available.
A relatively large number of people from districts like Ganjam, Balangir, Kalahandi, Jharsuguda, Bargarh go to other states as laborers in search of livelihood and earnings. Among them, people who go to other states from Ganjam district are mainly in the hope of earning more money are aspirational migration and from other districts in search of livelihood and to pay back the loans.
This problem will be solved to some extent by providing all the facilities of sustainable livelihood in the state to the people who go out of the state in search of livelihood. Nudge Foundation will provide people with means of livelihood according to the climate, environment and needs of the respective region. For this, the Nudge Foundation will first study the root causes and solutions in the migration-prone districts and Gram panchayats of Odisha. Based on the study, the future approach will be determined in consultation with the government, the Deputy Chief Minister said.
Food Security, Social Security, Sustainable Livelihoods and Prospective Employment (Graduation Approach) can help to address this problem. Once the livelihoods are provided, the Nudge Foundation will assess their financial and social status at regular intervals. Minister Suresh Pujari suggested using cluster approach in panchayats or blocks where there is more migration happens.
The other members of this task force Minister of Revenue & Disaster Management Suresh Pujari, Minister of Rural Development, Panchayatiraj & Drinking Water Rabi Narayan Naik, Minister of Forest, Environment & Climate and Labour & ESI Ganesh Ram Singh Khuntia, DC cum ACS Anu Garg, Principal Secretary Saswat Mishra and other officials were present in the meeting.