Bhubaneswar: The state government Saturday defended its decision to bring back the stranded Odia migrants at this time citing humanitarian, legal and scientific grounds.
The defence of the government comes at a time when several Surat returnees are testing positive for COVID-19 upon arrival in the state during the last one week. Subroto Bagchi, Chief Spokesperson of the government on COVID-19, cited several reasons to back the government’s initiative.
He said, “Many people are questioning the need of bringing back the stranded migrants of Odisha from other states. The country has around 20 crore people as migrants and out of them 92 per cent of them work in unorganised sectors.”
Bagchi added, “In organised sector, many people can work from home and earn their livelihood but the majority of persons working in unorganised sector can lose their jobs and income if factories are closed. There are workers, pilgrims, students and others and they enjoy legal powers to be brought in.”
He highlighted that majority of the Odia migrant workers are likely to be hit due to wage losses and joblessness. “They have constitutional rights to come back to their state. It is better to see them coming back before the disease and its impact crosses dangerous levels,” he stressed. Bagchi also said studies have shown that while 12,70,000 migrants from Odisha go to other states, close to eight lakh also migrate to Odisha for jobs. “This is a wrong notion that only Odia people migrate to other states,” he underlined.
According to information available presently with the government, only 25 to 30 per cent of people who have gone outside the state to earn their livelihood want to return back. Majority still wants to stay back as the industries/other business activities have commenced and they are able to earn for themselves. Government sources said that there is no need to panic or worry as most of the new cases coming from other states are in quarantine centres.
