Bhubaneswar: A high-level meeting, chaired by Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, was convened today at the Lok Seva Bhavan Conference Hall to address the pressing issue of migrant worker displacement in Odisha. The meeting focused on innovative strategies to reduce distress migration, with a particular emphasis on promoting dairy farming as a sustainable livelihood option.
According to an official press release, SBM Advisor LLP delivered a detailed PowerPoint presentation to Deputy Chief Minister Singh Deo, highlighting how milk production and dairy farming could significantly mitigate the displacement of migrant workers. Labour and Employees State Insurance Minister Ganesh Ram Singh Khuntia also attended the meeting, underscoring the state’s commitment to tackling this challenge.
As the chairman of the task force constituted to curb distress migration, Deputy Chief Minister Singh Deo emphasized the government’s serious approach to the issue. He noted that the causes of migrant worker displacement vary across districts, urging officials to conduct thorough analyses and implement tailored solutions. Singh Deo highlighted the potential of dairy farming and cattle rearing to strengthen rural livelihoods, particularly by empowering women with year-round income sources. “By fostering self-reliance among women through dairy farming, we can significantly reduce labour migration,” he stated.
A representative from SBM Advisor LLP proposed incentivizing private sector participation alongside existing government schemes to amplify the impact of these initiatives.
The meeting saw participation from key officials, including Principal Secretary Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee, Chithra Arumugam, Suresh Kumar Vashishth, Girish SN, and senior representatives from the Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment, Labour & ESI, Fisheries and Animal Resource Development, and Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Departments.
The discussions underscored Odisha’s proactive efforts to address distress migration through sustainable economic opportunities, with dairy farming emerging as a promising solution to bolster rural resilience.
