Govt charts out plan to tackle migration

Bhubaneswar: With a view to controlling migration of labourers from state, the government has worked out an integrated action plan (IAP) to be executed at 30 gram panchayats (GPs) in three blocks of two districts on pilot basis.
A high-level meeting to this effect was held under the chairmanship of Development Commissioner R Balakrishnan at Secretariat here Wednesday.
Balakrishnan asked officials to step up the activities with focused and integrated interventions in 30 GPs of Bolangir and Nuapada districts for curtailing the distress migration during coming season.
Three blocks – Belpada and Khaprakhol in Bolangir district, and Nuapada in Nuapada district – were identified for pilot intervention with IAP.
He also directed the departments concerned to fill the vacant posts and instruct the field level officers to act proactively in convergence with other departments. The collectors of these two districts were also directed to take lead in the matter and review the field level activities at regular intervals.
Labour and ESI Secretary Anu Garg said around 8,433 households in two blocks of Bolangir district and 719 households in Nuapada block of Nuapada district have been identified as migration-prone.
The information of family members along with their land holding and livelihood options and several other details have also been surveyed in collaboration with Tata Trust as per an MoU signed with them by the state government, Garg added.
A three pronged IAP— prevention, regulation and redress— was worked out in the meeting.
The Panchyati Raj department has been asked to involve all the Sarpanches, ward members and other panchayati raj institution members as stakeholders in implementation of the action plan.
As the past data shows, migration in these areas starts during the month of September. Considering this, the Development Commissioner directed to start the awareness activities well in advance from the month of July. Various departments were also directed to roll out the activities in advance in direct touch with the people.