Chhattisgarh Assembly Speaker Dr Charan Das Mahant on Monday asked the Labour Minister to come up with an action plan to generate employment locally to end migration from the state.
During the ongoing budget session, he said migration is blot on Chhattisgarh. Every year lakhs of villagers from the districts of Mahasamund, Janjgir-Champa, Mungeli, Bilaspur and more migrate to other states in search of employment and better wages.
To check this migration, an action plan should be made to provide them employment at the local level.
Abhanpur Congress MLA Dhanendra Sahu raised the issue of migration in 2021-22 from Mahasamund district.
Labour Minister Dr Shiv Kumar Dahariya said that villagers were being given work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA).
He said that 30,009 labourers from 551 villages of Mahasamund have migrated. Under MGNREGA in the current fiscal, 2,50,547 labourers have been given work and Rs 10,819.88 lakh has been paid as wages.
Sahu countered that if the number of labourers and wages are zeroed to one person, then it stands around 22 days of work and Rs 153 per person, which is totally inadequate to run a family and stop migration. He said there is no arrangement for skilled workers.
The Minister said district Collectors have been asked for skill mapping and the registration of labourers at Panchayat level has been initiated for those moving out of the state.
With members raising their concern, the Speaker asked the Minister to come up with an action plan to ensure long-term employment to local residents with better wages.