Third High Level Task Force Meeting on Distress Migration Conveyed

Bhubaneswar, 25 Aug 2025: 3rd Meeting of the high level Task Force on Distress Migration under the chairmanship of Hon’ble Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment, Energy Shri Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo held today at Lokseva Bhavan. In the earlier meeting it was decided to study the reasons and behind the distressed migration. And the survey will be conducted by The Nudge foundation. Based on the survey and the data available with the government it was decided to implement the effective livelihood practices such as Odisha PVTG Livelihood Model and Mukhya Mantri Janjati Jeevika Mission to curb the migration. The migrant workers would be trained to enhance their skills. Currently, there are various ongoing government welfare schemes such as MGNREGS, Subhadra, Input Assistance to farmers, MKUY, Kamdhenu Yojana, Goat rearing, plantation programs etc.. The government will ensure the 100% coverage of these welfare schemes to every household of the migration prone districts and blocks. For this purpose saturation drive will be conducted and various line department’s officers, Secretaries will certify the 100% coverage of the above.
It was reported that, due to the implementation of input assistance to farmers in both kharif & rabi season the rate of migration reduced to an extent. Additionally, the strategies initiated by the Labour, PR&DW, FARD, Agriculture Department to check distress migration like more irrigation support/channels, canals, additional 200 wages days for unskilled workers as state support to MGNREGS scheme, Gramodaya, initiation of Model Gram Panchayat, Contract farming, etc.to match migration income.
A committee will be formed to amplify outcomes of households and to curb distressed migration, crackdown on labour sardars. They will act in coordination with the enforcement officers, police officers, railway officers and district administration in a mission mode basis. Hon’ble Deputy Chief Minister, Minister of, Women & Child Development, Mission Shakti, Tourism Smt. Pravati Parida, Hon’ble Revenue & Disaster Management Shri Suresh Pujari, Hon’ble RD, PR&DW Minister Shri Rabi Narayan Naik, Hon’ble SME, SC&ST, SSEPD Minister Shri Nityananda Gond, Hon’ble Forest & Environment, Labour & ESI Minister Shri Ganesh Ram Singh Khuntia, Hon’ble Industry Minister Shri Sampad Chandra Swain, Hon’ble FARD, MSME Minister Shri Gokulananda Mallick, Principal Secretary, Finance, Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment, PR&DW, DG, Additional Director General of Police, Railway , representative from The Nudge foundation, and senior officers from different departments were attended the meeting.