Sambalpur: Distress migration is endemic to certain pockets of KBK districts, especially those areas that are mostly non-irrigated. Marginal and landless farmers in these areas face unemployment problems soon after monsoon cultivation is over.
They are compelled to leave their villages in search of employment no matter where it is. Since they move out in large numbers, such exodus is described as ‘distress migration’ by social scientists.
There are villages where aged and disabled persons with their young grandchildren are left behind to fend for themselves. The government has tried to create employment opportunities through MGNREGS to contain distress migration. But there is no visible success at the ground level.
All payments under MGNREGS are mandatorily done through post office accounts. Since the number of post office accounts is not increasing over last several years, the success of the scheme is doubtful.
The total number of post office accounts in undivided Bolangir and Sonepur districts has remained 25,835 over last three years. Similarly, in the undivided Sambalpur district the said figure is 2,11,433 for the same period.
They prove that Bolangir and Sonepur districts had fewer employment opportunities than undivided Sambalpur district.
There is a social cause behind it. Labour agents offer handsome amounts of money as advance booking to these poor and landless farmers whenever they have a marriage or any other social event at home.
In return to the favour, the agents ask them to render their services as migrant labourers at far off places. These poor farmers have little say but surrender to their conditions. In fact, there is a vicious circle created in these pockets. The government has not taken any initiative to break them free from their clutches.
Distress migration is not reported from Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Deogarh and Sambalpur districts even though unemployment and lack of irrigation facilities are also common there.
There is migration from Sundargarh and Jharsuguda districts. But it is not seasonal like those in KBK districts. People leaving from these districts find regular employment in Pubjab and Haryana.
Sharing his experience with Orissa POST, a member of Muktakantha Manav Kalyan Pratishthan (MKP) said distress migration is not confined to unemployed farm hands only, it is spread to fishing sector also.
He said six youths from Meghpal village in the district went to Mumbai through Khurdha route with promises that they would be employed in construction work. However, they were engaged as labourers in fishing trawlers at Mumbai coast
Their family members got a letter that described their plight. They were forced to live in sub-human conditions. The youths were finally rescued with the help of a Mumbai-based social activist and lawyer, Vivek Pandit, he said.
Bolangir police Wednesday nabbed four labour agents when they were trafficking 302 people including 98 children from Kantabanji railway station on their way to Andhra Pradesh. Cases were registered against the agents at Kantabanji police station.
Superitendent of police KS Subramani said distress migration is objectionable. The distress migration is as illegal as human trafficking. The poor people are subjected to exploitation and inhuman torture in the name of employment.
There is a provision for labour agents to register at district labour offices before they could take unemployed labourers to different states for employment. But unfortunately, that is not complied with. There are several reports describing the plight of migrant labourers. PNN