Migrants: the self-reliant workers

By Alok Kumar Padhi

Plight of migrant labourers during lock down was quite disturbing. Usually the migrant workers suffer a lot in normal days because they leave their hometown and family members for a means of livelihood and this lock down brought more sufferings to their lives. Migrants started going their home walking, cycling and some in goods vehicles. 16 migrants died as a goods train ran over them while they were taking rest on a railway track near Aurangabad. The most heartening scene was when a child was trying to wake his mother up in a railway station in Bihar. He tugged at the cloth covering her until it came off. But his mother had died of starvation. Seeing the plight of the migrants, the Apex Court of the country took suomotu cognizance of the situation and directed the Central and State Governments to take several measures for safe return of migrants to their home states. This step by the Honorable Court has relaxed the migrants who are yet to return their home states. On 5^th June, the Court has given another 15 days to the Central and Governments to complete the return of migrants and to generate employment for them.

This employment generation is really necessary for the returnees. After completing mandatory quarantine they will be looking for employment to sustain their family. The sufferings they have undergone starting from lock down till return to their home state, they won�t want to go back to their work to other states. So States have to generate employment at the local places for these returnees. As of now, the major focus of Central Govt. and most of the state governments is MGNREGA. It has a mandate of providing 100 days mandays to a family which is enrolled under the Act. The Odisha Government in January 2020 had increased the mandays of MGNREGA in 20 blocks of 4 districts in Odisha which are prone to migration. The Keonjhar District Administration in Odisha,has increased the wage rate under MGNREGA Rs. 207 to Rs. 298 as per State�s Minimum Wage rate. The additional cost will be borne from the District Mineral Fund. On 29^th May the Odishagovt declared Rs. 17,000 crorepackage to generate employment through sectors like MGNREGA, agriculture, fisheries and animal resources development, forest and handlooms and handicrafts in rural areas as part of a special plan. Also the Govt has planned to create 20 croremandays under MGNREGA in the coming days. This is a welcoming step that most of the State Governments including Odisha have been focusing on generating employment and increasing mandays now. But why they did not do it earlier? The migrants would not have migrated anymore if they had the employment at their native. Because they all want to be self-dependent and not to depend on subsidized items provided govt.

Creating 20 croremandays and allocation of funds for the same seems to be a positive sign for the returnees. However, the question will rise at the implementation stage. All the workers may not prefer to work under MGNREGA even though funds are allocated. Many a times it has been seen that, machines are being used to do work under MGNREGA instead of workers. So undertaking projects under MGNREGA through machines, only because of funds are allocated won�t make any sense as workers will not be working there.

The time for now is to create database of returnees at state and national level. Database of children should also be prepared separately and when schools will be opened they should be enrolled in education. Skill mapping of adults should be done immediately. Based on the skill mapping result, employment should be generated. Focus should be given to different trades and not only limited to MGNREGA. Among the returnees, there must be people who worked in brick klins, agriculture, construction work and other others. While developing plans for generating employment, govt should focus on the skills and experiences of the returnees. In-job skill development trainings may be another positive step to make the local people more resourceful, if taken by the govt. Increasing the wages for MGNREGA work as per minimum wage of the state is really a welcoming step, however this should not violate with equal pay for equal work. These workers may be included to get provisions under Unorganized Workers� Social Security Act, 2008.

Many returnees after completing quarantine time go to home and they will need employment. So the need of the hour is to create employment for these people and provide them the freedom to become self-reliant.

(Alok Kumar Padhi is a development consultant based in Bhubaneswar. He can be reached at alokkumarpadhi8@gmail.com)