Bhubaneswar: Odisha has witnessed the unfortunate demise of 289 migrant workers over the past five years, Labour & Employees State Insurance Minister Ganesh Ram Singhkhuntia informed the state assembly on Thursday.
Minister Singhkhuntia also revealed that during the same period, 5,612 migrant workers were rescued from various states.
In a written reply to a question by Bhubaneswar Central MLA Ananta Narayan Jena, the Minister provided details about the issuance of licenses under the Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979. He stated that in 2024, 1,037 contractors were granted licenses to employ 70,142 migrant workers in other states. Further, up to August 2025, licenses have been issued to 217 contractors for the employment of 11,051 migrant workers.
Minister Singhkhuntia also shared that on Independence Day in New Delhi, rescued bonded laborers from certain districts, working under the Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Departments, were invited as honored guests.
Additionally, the Minister cited information from the Women and Child Development Department regarding the ‘Subhadra Yojana.’ Under this scheme, financial assistance has been disbursed to eligible beneficiaries in three installments: 10,280,092 persons received the first installment, 10,096,307 the second, and 9,696,955 the third.
