Only 40,088 Labourers Have Migrated Outside Odisha Through Licensed Contractors

Bhubaneswar: Only 40,088 labourers from Odisha have migrated outside the state for employment through 626 licensed contractors, informed the state government on Thursday.

Replying to the question by the Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati in the Assembly, Labour Minister Sarada Prasad Nayak replied that these contractors have been licensed Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979.

According to the minister, the highest number of workers employed outside the state through licensed contractors are from Balangir (26,151) followed by Naupada (8,205). From Ganjam, which according to unofficial assessment has lakhs working outside the state, only 1,467 have migrated through licensed contractors.

Districts like Angul, Bhadrak, Boudh, Deograh, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Malkangiri, Sonepur and Sundargarh districts have reported no instance of migration, he said.

Answering a question put by by Salepur MLA Prashant Behera about death of migrant workers, Nayak said that 143 have died in other states and 10 abroad in the last three years. Bodies of all 153 have been brought back, he added.