Migrant Workers during COVID-19 Pandemic:

A Case Study of Odisha

Introduction

The coronavirus pandemic is a global challenge with 42,951,556 confirmed cases of COVID

19 and 514,589 deaths which have been reported by World Health Organisation in India from

3 January 2020 to 4 March 2022. As of February 21, 2022 a total of 1,761,575,119 vaccines

have been administered. Similarly, the COVID cases in Odisha is 13 lakhs with more than

9,000 reported deaths. Because it is contagious and spreads very quickly, it has created a

terrible situation throughout the country. There is constant fear and rumour about the

coronavirus. Not only has this created health risks and economic regression, but it has also

affected the livelihoods of people in different communities due to the declaration of

lockdown from 25th march 2020 to 31st May 2022. Migrant workers are particularly affected

and have been the worst sufferers those who live without a safety net. It should be noted that

migrant workers, who make up almost 80% of the total economic contributions, are treated as

tacit contributors to the national economy, but today, the Government does not have a data

base or clear registration mandate for interstate and intrastate migrants.

Although many measures have been taken by central and state governments that are

providing relief from the COVID- 19 pandemic, they are still plagued with vulnerability due

to the disruption of economic and social life. Therefore, it is time to focus on migrant workers

in the context of COVID- 19. The government forced many people to live in fear and

hardship with the decision of lockdown. Due to this pandemic, economic losses at the state

and national level cannot be ignored, which is an expected challenge for food security.

Throughout the country, many migrant workers and their families, women and children have

been forced to leave the cities due to a lack of social security and adequate basic amenities.

While thousands of migrants were stranded in different parts of the country, many had to
walk hundreds of kilometres between their city and homes. This desperate move has created a

problem for the destination state such as Odisha by spreading the infection to new areas,

surveillance and testing problems, as well as quarantine facilities for migrants and job

creation to ensure their food security.

Migration is a complex but integral part of society as it affects the economic system of the

society by bringing about economic changes. Particularly in agrarian states like Odisha,

where farming is considered a seasonal activity, most of the rural population seasonally

migrates to other areas during the low season in search of alternative livelihoods. A migrant

is a person who moves from one administrative unit to another with the intention of

permanently setting is another region or country .The outbreak of the corona virus and the

resulting decision of the government to shut down as a preventive and protective measure has

had a major impact on the livelihoods and socio-psychological states of migrants working in

different cities.

Types of Migration

Migration of workers can be classified into different types. There are:

1. Internal migration:-

Internal migration means movement within a country where as.

There are two types of internal migration. There are:-

a. Inter-regional migration:-

It refers to the movement from one region of the country to another for earning livelihood.

b. Intra-regional migration:-

It refers to a migration within a country.

2. International migration: -

It refers to change of residence over national border. An international migrant is someone

who moves to a different country.

When the honourable Prime Minister of India declared a national lockdown on March 24,

2020, migrants who were essentially workers were hoping to return to their job soon. The

second phase lockdown declaration on 14th April 2020 shocked them and forced them to stay

in a perplexed state of mind. By then, most migrant had already spent their funds to cover

their daily needs during the lean season. It was an unforeseen and unnatural crisis for them.

Thousands of migrants attempted to return to their country of origin due to unemployment,

hunger and a sense of insecurity. Due to the confiscation of the transportation system, they

found it difficult to reach their homes. According to one estimate, about twenty lakhs

migrants aspired to return to Odisha. Managing such an influx of people in times of health

crisis has been a challenge for the state for surveillance and screening issues as well as

quarantine facilities and job security for them. The press, as well as the electronic media

highlighted the problems peripherally the return of inter-state migrants during the COVID19

Pandemic has thus attracted the attention of administrators, policy makers and civil society

organisation and health officials. Furthermore, an attempt has been made to analyse the

opportunities and challenges that arise before the state government for the reception of

repatriated migrants and for the security of their livelihood.

As per the Indian constitution all workers are guaranteed labour rights in this nation, and that

includes migrant workers. The Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles of State Policy

clearly mention in the following articles:

Labour Laws in Fundamental Rights:

Article-14: Equality before the law is interpreted in labour laws as “Equal pay for equal

work.”

Article-16: Equality of opportunity in matters of public employment.

Article-19(C): Constitution guarantees citizens to form a union or association. The Trade

Union Act, 1926 works through this Article of the constitution. It allows workers to form

trade union.

Article-23: Prohibition of forced labour.

Article-24: Prohibition of employment of children in factories etc. Nobody can employ a

child under the age of 14 to work.

Labour Laws in Directive Principles of State Policy:

Article-39(a): That the citizen, men and women equally, have the right to an adequate means

of livelihood

Article-39(d): That there is equal pay for equal work for both men and women.

Article-41: Constitution provides, “Rights to Work” which means that every citizen of the

country has the right to work and the state with the best of its abilities will secure the right to

work and education.

Article-42: The state shall make provision for securing just and human conditions of work

and for maternity relief.

Article-43: The “living wage” for its citizens. Living wage not only includes the “bare

necessities of life” but also the social and cultural upliftment of the person.
Research Question

The research questions are as follow:

i. What is the impact of Covid-19 pandemic on migrant workers of Odisha?

ii. How state government policies have addressed Covid-19 pandemic to ensure well-

being of the migrant workers of Odisha?

iii. What are the challenges before state government while implementing policies?

iv. What is limitation of the government policies?

Research Objectives

The objective of research would be:

i. To understand the impact of COVID19 pandemic on migrant workers of Odisha;

ii. To enumerate state government policies during Covid-19 pandemic to ensure well-

being of the migrant workers of Odisha;

iii. To analyse the drawbacks of the government policies;

Hypothesis

India should formulate migration centric policies in order to ensure growth and development

and reduce distress induced migration.

Research Methodology

The research tries to figure out how badly this migrant labor crisis has affected the state of

odisha.

The research will be based on primary and secondary data. The primary source of data would

be based on interview and survey and various government reports. The secondary data would
be based on various articles, books, online resources, and selected press release on the

subject.

The research will be predominantly secondary in nature and descriptive and analytical. The

data collected will be analysed with both qualitative and quantitative methods. However, the

study will be dominated by qualitative approach.

Tentative Chapterization

1. Introduction

2. Odisha: Impact of Covid- 19 on Migrant Workers

4. Assessment of Government Policies towards Migrants

5. Conclusion

Bibliography