ARINDAM GANGULY, OP
Bhubaneswar: Odisha, along with states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Rajasthan, is among the major sending regions for migrants in India, highlighting its significant role in the country’s internal migration patterns.
Observed annually December 18, International Migrants Day recognises the contributions of over 280 million migrants worldwide and reaffirms their rights, dignity, and freedoms.
Highlighting the scale of migration from Odisha, social activist Naba Kishore Pujari noted that over 1.1 crore informal workers from the state are registered on the e-Shram portal, the third-highest in India.
Each year, around 17 lakh seasonal migrants leave for states like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Gujarat.
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Their remittances support rural development, helping families build homes, fund education, and sustain local economies. However, 432 migrant deaths reported between 2019 and 2025 underscore the human cost of unsafe and unprotected labour migration.
Under the new BJP administration, the state government has committed to ending forced migration by 2029 by tackling its root causes.
A high-level Task Force on Migration, headed by Deputy Chief Minister KV Sing Deo, has been set up to study migration patterns and recommend strategies on livelihood creation, skill development, and worker welfare.
The government is boosting employment through MGNREGS, promoting skill-based industries like textiles and footwear, and expanding welfare schemes, including health insurance and social security, in migration-prone areas.
Mobile Migrant Resource Centres and helpline services provide information and support to workers, while inter-state coordination seeks to enhance protection, rescue, and rehabilitation of migrants.
Labour activist Sudarshan Chhotray said migration persists despite policies, noting MGNREGA’s limited impact, and urged identifying migrant households, ensuring livelihoods, expanding irrigation, and implementing the Forest Rights Act for tribal land rights.