In the light of the large scale exodus of people from south Orissa’s Ganjam district to other states of the country, several activists have urged the political parties to take up the issue of the welfare of the migrant workers ahead of the ensuing Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.

About five lakh people from the district are migrating to other states every year, mainly to Surat and Mumbai. The migrants and their families constitute two thirds of the total population in the district, claimed Aruna, a non-government organisation (NGO), working on HIV/AIDS.

“We cannot prevent the migration, which contributes about Rs 1,500 crore every year to the district, apart from providing job opportunities to about five lakh rural youth. We need to take steps to ensure the welfare of the migrant workers as well as safety of the district” said Lokanath Mishra, director Aruna.

Ganjam is the home district of the state chief minister Naveen Patnaik and also of Chandra Sekhar Sahu, the Union minister of state for rural development.

“The political parties contesting in the elections in the district should promise to issue the identity cards to all people migrating people from the district. Moreover, these workers need to be given insurance coverage”, suggested Mishra and Brundaban Panda, an activist.

They also urged the party leaders to negotiate with their counterpart governments for providing different facilities like shelter, security, health and hygiene, ration cards, drinking water, education and protection of rights and above all the implementation of labour laws at the work places of these migrant workers.

The activists pointed out that the migrant workers from Ganjam were mainly responsible for bringing the HIV virus to the district which ranked top 10 HIV prevalent districts in the country.

New Ipad Application :Business Standard's all new IPad App Click here to download for free Other Stories      - Markets open soft on global cues - Bharti Airtel extend gains on acquisition of 49% stake in Qualcomm India - US economy trudges along as others falter - Airlines say carbon law cutting EU off from growth - World stocks eke out gains, euro falls

Tags : non-government organisation | HIV/AIDS Chandra Sekhar Sahu |   Read Business news in  Advertisements -  Journey on, We are by Your Side. Click here to know more -  Benefits Upto Rs. 2.36 Lakhs on the Fully Loaded TJet Petrol. -  The Best Seller is Also the No. 1 in Mileage. Click here -  Watch The Film Here. Click here to know more.. -  Leader in Passenger Car & Automobile Tyres. Click here -  1 billion in saving for Unilever without any tangles. -  Learn How One City is Running on FOOD SCRAPS. -  One Partnership Endless Possibilities. Click here to know more -  Helping doctors detect diseases earlier, saving costs & extending lives. -  36 Lakhs can get you a pool of Luxuries. Click here -  Which is the best plan for your daughter -  Check out the TRUE COLOURS of your Stocks, Now for FREE! -  One of the leading business schools in the world.Know More