Stranded labourers in Odisha are now allowed to join work during lockdown

Bhubaneswar:   The Odisha Government today announced that labourers who are stranded at 2610 camps in various districts and have completed 14-day quarantine period will now be allowed to move to workplaces within the state.

In its fresh order, the Revenue and Disaster Management Department said stranded labourers, both from the state and outiside, are allowed to commence work within the state.  The concerned  industries,agencies and contractors will transport them from camps to workplaces in dedicated and designated buses maintaining social distancing. 

However, the department has  set a few guidelines for implementation of order. 

1. Industries/ agencies/labour contractors will be allowed to transport their labourers in dedicated and designated buses from camps to workplace within the state of Odisha, maintaining social distancing and other relevant safety protocols prescribed by Government. They will report the details of the labourers, destinations and buses to the concerned Collector through District Labour Officer (DLO). The Collector will issue movement pass. The Collector may requisite buses to facilitate the movement, if required. However, the expenditure will be borne by the concerned
industry/ agency/ contractor.

2.  In such cases where the stranded labourers do not belong to any particular industry/agency/ contractor, the concerned BDOs/ DLOs shall bring it to the notice of the Collector/ PD DRDA, who will make arrangements for such labourers to travel to the workplaces. The District Collector will requisite buses for the purpose through RTOs. The district Collectors are authorized to make expenditure on this account from the CMRF.

3. Since buses in the state are off roads due to lockdown and the buses will be made operational only for the
aforementioned purpose, the monthly payment of road tax for such requisitioned buses will be waived. The Commerce and Transport Department will issue necessary orders in this regard.

4.  Since these stranded labourers have already completed the recommended quarantine period of 14 days in their respective camps, the recipient local authorities (Sarpanch/ EO ULB/ Collector) shall not insist upon further quarantine of such arriving labourers to facilitate their immediate joining of workforce. The PR and DW Department and H and UD Department will issue instructions in this regard to the concerned authorities under their jurisdiction.

5. The respective Collectors will work in close co-ordination. While PD DRDAs will act as district nodal officer, DLOs will report to the PD DRDAs for this work. At State level, Labour Commissioner and Transport Commissioner will coordinate the matter.

6. The data regarding the daily movement will be compiled by the DLOs, in regular coordination with BDOs, both at the destination and the recipient district and will be furnished to Labour Commissioner on daily basis.

7. A high-level commiftee chaired by APC-cum-ACS with PS Labour and ESI and PS Commerce and Transpoft as members, will review and monitor the movement on daily basis.