Malkangiri: Even as migration of labour has been a routine in various parts of this district, the sarpanch of Gorakhunta gram panchayat has reportedly engaged a group of 20 youths, who were about to migrate to neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, in a pond excavation work.
According to reports, Era Padiami, the sarpanch of Gorakhunta, has been pleading with the district administration for effective steps to stop labour migration and make provision of labour-intensive work for the people going outside the district in search of work.
Last week, a group of 20 youths of Gorakhunta were on their way to Andhra Pradesh in search of work. Alerted, Padiami reached them and promised to provide them wage employment in the village. The youths returned to the village on the assurance of the sarpanch.
The sarpanch immediately intimated the matter to the collector and the project director of the District Rural Development Agency. Officials of the district administration visited the village and ordered excavation of a pond in the village under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.
The youths were then engaged in the pond excavation. The villagers exuded hope that the pond will help them sort out the water crisis during summer. PNN