Employment is not available in villages. The labour card scheme (NREGS) has failed to serve the purpose as job is not provided on demand and there is immense delay in wage payment. We are forced to migrate under distress condition as there is no alternative,” said participants of a leadership training programme held at Khariar in Nuapada district on Tuesday.
The participants, mostly women, of remote villages of Khariar block were sharing their experiences of working in the NREGS projects and agony of distress migration.
“We are forced to accept the advance from labour contractors to work in various kilns far away from our villages as job is not available here on demand,” they added.
Most of the women also complained that they do not get their wages under the NREGS in time, which fails the main objective of the NREGS.
The one-day training programme organised at the Kalyan Mandap by
NGO SAI (Social Awareness Institution) was aimed at developing awareness among migrant workers and NREG labourers.
“The labourers are cheated and exploited by employers in various ways due to lack of awareness and unity amongst the workers. So, our objective is to unite them to get their rights,” said SAI coordinator Jitendra Pattnaik.
Nuapada District Press Club president Ajit Panda was the resource person on the occasion.