MIGRANT HELP DESK OPENED IN TELANGANA Thursday, 09 November 2017 | PNS | BHUBANESWAR | in Bhubaneswar

MIGRANT HELP DESK OPENED IN TELANGANA

Thursday, 09 November 2017 | PNS | BHUBANESWAR | in Bhubaneswar

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The Odisha Government has taken initiatives to set up migrant labour help desks in five States to extend support to workers from Odisha working at brick kilns and different factories in those States.

The help desks have been established as part of a three-year action plan in view of frequent incidents of torture and deaths of Odisha workers in plant mishaps reported in recent years. The Government has decided to provide safety and welfare to the migrant workmen in destination States.

Under this year’s annual action plan (AAP), help desk works have begun in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Delhi.

Telangana Help Desk has already been launched with effect from May 1, where the Tata Trust is extending support. It is operating at Labour Commissioner’s office at Hyderabad, sources said. Another help desk would come for Andhra Pradesh.

Similarly, a help desk would be opened at the Odisha Bhawan soon and help desks in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka would be opened subsequently.

In many instances there are complaints of migrant workmen not being paid their dues or being kept in poor living conditions or being restrained at the worksite of the employer. These help desks, being set up by the Labour and ESI Department with support of associations of Odia persons, would resolve their problems, said officials. The associations have been given required funds, they said.

The Management of Utkal Association of Madras, Odisha Cultural Association, Bangalore, Utkal Sanskrutika Samaj, Vishakhapatnam have undertaken works.

Government officials are now visiting destination States during the peak migration season to make contact with Odia labourers and enquire into their problems and welfare, said sources.

As more migrant laborers are working in Chennai and Hyderabad, Labor Commissioner Sachin Ramchand  Jadav is visiting these places, sources added.

Meanwhile, mobile squads have been set up in migration-prone districts for providing immediate response to complaints of illegal migration.

Sources said that special police officers have been appointed to conduct checks at gram panchayat level in vulnerable districts.