Mrunal Manmay Dash

Bhubaneswar: A total of 63 per cent migrant returnees have reportedly received assistance during the COVID-19 induced lockdown.

Odisha Labour Minister Sushant Singh on Tuesday informed that a cumulative financial assistance of Rs 134.62 crore was provided to 6,73,079 migrants returned to Odisha from different states during the COVID induced lockdown till August 2020.

Replying to a question from Khandapada MLA Soumya Ranjan Patnaik, Singh said, "A total of 10,07,330 migrants returned to Odisha between March 2020 and October 2020 from different states. They were made to stay in quarantine centres before being allowed to enter their native places."

"Out of those, 6,73,079 migrant returnees were paid Rs 2000 each as an initial relief from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund (CMRF) amounting to a total sum of Rs 134.62 crore," he said.

"To safeguard the livelihood of the migrant labourers, Odisha government has implemented special COVID-19 financial package under various schemes and departments like MGNREGA, DDUGKY, UWEI and Mission Shakti,"he said.

In addition to that, Rs 1500 each was paid to 4689 migrant construction workers who were registered under the Labourer Welfare Board. Besides, the aid amount was directly credited to the bank accounts of the registered construction, who workers absent during the drive, through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).

Replying to a related question posed by Patnaik about the migrants who left Odisha again after relaxation in lockdown rules, Singh stated that his department does not have any information regarding the same.

(Edited By Pradeep Singh)

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