Distress Labour Migration from Western Odisha - An Overview

Abstract

For the past few decades, distress labour migration from western Odisha has served as a coping mechanism for impoverished households. The extremely underdeveloped areas of the KBK region, characterized by uneven development, poverty concentration, and ecological features, together with the socio-political conditions, are significant sources of distressed migrants. Despite frequent coverage in the media, a thorough investigation of the conditions and outcomes of widespread distress labour migration is noticeably lacking. Hence the present study based on macro level information looks into the aspects of distress labour migration and its underlying socio-economic factors with special focus on western belts (KBK) of Odisha It also sheds light on the impact of the MGNREGA programme in regulating the distress labour migration from the these rural areas.