Bhubaneswar: In order to accelerate the pace of economic activity in a phased manner and help thousands of stranded migrant workers inside the state, the Odisha Government has decided to allow intra-state movement of stranded migrant workers.
According to an order issued by the Revenue and Disaster Management Department, Government Of Odisha, as labourers stranded due to the lockdown in the state are allowed to participation in different economic activities including agriculture, the State Government has decided that such stranded labourers, who wish to travel within the State for work, are allowed do so in an organized manner so as to reach their place of work by abiding the prescribed guidelines.
There are about 86,000 number of workers of which about 16,000 are from within the State of Odisha, who have been accommodated in 2610 camps in the various districts.
The Guidelines for Intra-state movement of labourers are as follows:
1. The industries/ agencies/ labour contractors will be allowed to transport their labourers in dedicated and designed buses from camp to the workplace within the state of Odisha, maintaining social distancing and other relevant safety protocols prescribed by the Government. Such industries/agencies/contractors will report the details of such labourers, destinations and buses to the concerned District Collector, through the District Labour Officer. The concerned District Collectors will issue movement pass to such contractors across the districts within the state of Odisha for the said purpose. The concerned Collectors may requisition buses to facilitate such movement, if required. However, the expenditure on this account will be borne by the concerned industry/ agency/ contractor.
2. In such cases where the stranded labourers do not belong to any particular industry/agency/contractor, the concerned BDOs/ DLOs shall bring it to the notice of the District Collector/ PD DRDA, who will make arrangements for such labourers to travel to the destination of their workplace in groups. The District Collector will requisition buses for the purpose through Regional Transport Officers. The district Collectors are authorized to make expenditure on this account from the CMRF.
3. Since the buses in the state are off-road due to lockdown, and only for the aforementioned purpose, the buses will be made operational, the monthly payment of road tax for such requisitioned buses will be waived. The Commerce and Transport Department will issue necessary orders in this regard.
4. Since these stranded labourers have already completed the recommended quarantine period of 14 days in their respective camps, the recipient local authorities (Sarpanch/ ULB/ Collector) shall not insist upon further quarantine of such arriving labourers to facilitate their immediate joining of workforce. The PR & DW Department andH&UD Department will issue instructions in this regard to the concerned authorities under their jurisdiction.
5. The District Collectors of the host and recipient districts shall work in close co-ordination. PD DRDAs will act as district nodal officer. The District Labour Officer will report to the PD DRDA for this work. At State level, Labour Commissioner and Transport Commissioner will coordinate the matter.
6. The data regarding the daily movement will be compiled by the DLOs in regular co-ordination with the BDOs, both at the destination and the recipient district, and will be furnished to Labour Commissioner on daily basis.
7. A High-level Committee chaired by APC-cum-ACS with PS Labour & ESI and PS Commerce & Transport as members, will review and monitor the movement on a daily basis.
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