Migration Woes Continue Kalahandi, 12 Migrant Labourers Die Outside State in 4 Months

Bhubaneswar: Despite several promises to alleviate the problem, migration of labour force from Kalahandi district still continues. Along with it the news of torture of migrant labourers outside the state is also not receding.

Bodies of as many as 12 migrant labourers hailing from Kalampur block of Kalhandi district have been returned to their families during the last four months. Three of them died in the recent week. All of them were working outside the state.

They were forced to work in inhospitable conditions even when they were suffering from severe diseases. Inhuman torture and neglect caused their untimely deaths. The problem of migration is most acute in Lanjigarh, Kalampur, Dharmagarh, and Koksara blocks in Kalhandi district. Hundreds from these areas migrate to other states to work as menial labourers.

Such tragedies speak volumes about the bane of migration prevailing in the district. It is alleged that Kalahandi district administration is yet to take any major steps to check the rising trend of labour migration by providing livelihood facilities to the labourers near their villages.

While migrant labourers of Kalampur block prefer Bangalore for migration, their counterparts in Lanjigarh usually choose Hyderabad as their destination. A police team recently rescued 13 migrant labourers from a worksite in Tamil Nadu after a video of them being held hostage went viral on social media platforms.

On the other hand, what has surprised many is that the district administration has no detail information regarding the number and identity of people migrating outside the state.