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Despite proactive steps of Government to protect and safeguard the interest of Migrant Labourers and extending them facilities under Building and Construction workers welfare Board, their sufferings seems to be never ending. The reported exploitation and physical torturer have not been limited in various places in India; it has been extended to foreign soils also. Odia labourers are now increasingly migrating to Gulf Region, African Countries and to far eastern Countries also. Mere Labour Laws in India can n’t protect them, the provisions under Inter State Migrant Workmen Act 1979 is insufficient and has shortcomings. Lack of enforcement and mechanism to identify and registering migrants are major challenges for the authorities. Livelihood challenges, Globalization, demographic shifts, income inequalities, conflicts, Climate Change and frequent Natural Disasters though are the contributing factors, the destination States and Countries are largely benefitted from the contribution of these workforces while Origin States and Countries are also greatly benefitted from the Remittances. In this context, there is a need to enact legislation a National Policy for Migrant Labourers, for their protection, livelihood security and smooth transition, to save them from exploitation and physical torture. These were issues came up for discussion in the State Level observance of International Migration Day on 18th December, 2015 held at Lohiya Akademy in the city. The event was organized by Pravasi Odia Sramika Surakhya Manch in collaboration with civil Society Organizations Adhikar, Aruna and National Coalition on Migrant Laborers (NCML). It was resolved to urge Union Government to designate a Senior Labour Department Official of the State Government as Inquiry Officer under India Emigration Act, 1962 and 1983, to investigate and respond the reported cases of violation of Labour Rights of oversees Migrants. Similarly a Branch of Director General of Protector should be set up in Odisha to issue licenses and regulate Labour Contractors for oversees employment, besides tracking oversees migrants. While placing the keynote presentation Sudarshan Chhotray, Convenor of NCML said,” more than 3 million people are working as a migrant labourers in Odisha of them a million are seasonal and among them around 50,000 have opted to work as oversees employees to earn more money and are duped by labour contractors. We need to identify them and track where are going with whom for what work otherwise more such cases of violation of labour rights, sufferings will come to force. State Government should engage with Union Government to find the way out.” The programme which was participated by hundreds of migrants’ laborers was inaugurated by Subash Singh, Chairman, Odisha Building and other Construction Worker’s Welfare Board.Md Amin N. Amin of Adhikar chaired the session. Other guests of the inaugural function were P.K. Panigrahi, Dy. Chief Labour Commissioner, Govt.of India, Kisalaya Satpathy,Guest ,Asst. Labour Commissioner, Govt. of Odisha. Prominent among the speakers who spoke in various sessions were Jogendra Tripathy, HMS, Souribandhu Kar, AITUC, Harish Gouranga, INTUC Basanta Sahoo, BMS, Sridhara Mishra and Sj.Satyananda Behera, CITU, Purna Chandra Behera and Bishnu Dash, AIUTUC, Mahendra Parida and Radhakant Sethy, AICCTU Dr. (Mrs.) Amrita Patel, Researcher , Dr. B.B. Acharya, Consultant Advisor, Labour Directorate, Govt of Odisha, Prassana Behera, President, Odisha Traditional Fish Worker’s Union (OTFWU), Suresh Panigrahy, Bhubaneswar, Pradeep Pradhan, Right to FoodCampaign, Odisha Sj. Anam Barik, Pravasi Odisha Sramika Surakhya Manch Mrs. Saudamini Rath, Secretyary , ARUNA, Ganjam, Md. N. Amin, President ,ADHIKAR . Govinda Dalabehera, Secretary, Adhikar Ms. Malaya Mishra of Adhikar and Brundaban Panda of Aruna Moderated the daylong programmee. . Following were the demands put forth before government on International Migration Day-2015. 1-Government should identify and issue IDENTITY CARD all the migrant laborers of the state. 2-Government should set-up a TASK FORCE, Terms and Conditions should be like these, To study the causes/reasons- behind the migration,working conditions vis-à-vis the work culture , Wage structure and other working amenities for benefits, Identification of work force as per the Industrial Disputes Act, To bring out a report containing number of laborers both in the place of origin and destination (places of work, city and state and to suggest what should be done at the place of work. 3 - To make amendments to Interstate Migrant Workmen Act to accommodate/cover sue-motto migrant workmen. 4-Government should immediately take steps to appoint Labour Officers in Surat, Mumbai, Gandhidham, Pune, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Raipur, Trissur (Kerala), Srinagar (J&K), Kolkata and in New Delhi. 5-State Government should open a MIGRATION CELL either in state Secretariat or in Sramabhawan directly under the supervision of Chief Secretary or Development Commissioner, similar CELLs can be worked out in various RDC/DLO levels. It should be decentralized. 6-A State Level Committee to examine the plight of Odia laborers has to be sent to various states and cities-it may be an all party delegation/all trade union delegation/House committee . 7-Government should ensure Registration in ALL Railway stations/Bus stops and departure centers to estimate the number of Migrants. 7-Govt of Orissa should ensure that all the Migrant workers are registered in Panchayats and Revenue Officials should be asked to issue Resident/Caste/Identity certificates to migrant workers.
Keywords
government, building and construction workers, labour laws, India, Inter-state Migrant workmen Act, migrants
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