Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government under the provisions of the Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulations of Employment and Conditions of Service ) Act, 1979 has issued licences to 626 contractors in the State to send 40,088 persons to work as migrant labourers outside the State up to October 2023.
Labour & Employees State Insurance Minister Sarada Prasad Nayak informed this in a written reply to a query by Congress MLA from Jeypore Tara Prasad Bahinipati in the Odisha Assembly on Thursday.
According to details shared by the Minister, the highest number of contractor licences—402 have been issued in the Bolangir district for sending the highest number of persons—26,151 to other States as migrant labourers followed by Nuapada where 103 licences have been issued for sending 8205 persons to outside States as migrant labourers.
Nayak said that migrant labourers have been included in various employment generation programmes and self-employment programmes of the government in the State.
This apart, the State government has been implementing a special assistance package for migrant labourers in 20 blocks of Bolangir, Bargarh, Kalahandi, and Nuapada districts since 2020, Nayak said.
As part of the package, the number of work days under MNREGS has been increased to 300. In addition to that wage given under this is equivalent to minimum wages given to unskilled workers in Odisha, he added.
