Odisha Launches First Mobile Migrant Resource Centre to Support Migrant Communities

Bhubaneswar: To support migrant workers and curb distress migration, Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo today inaugurated Odisha’s first Mobile Migrant Resource Centre at Krushi Bhavan, Bhubaneswar. The mobile resource unit, developed through a joint collaboration between the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment, FAO, International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the UN Migrant Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MMTF), aims to create greater awareness in five migration-prone blocks of Ganjam and Kendrapara districts.

Speaking at the event, Singh Deo—who also chairs the State High-Level Task Force on Migrants—emphasised the government’s commitment to empowering returning migrants, women, and youth through skill development and livelihood generation schemes. “We are working to make people self-reliant by creating employment opportunities closer to home,” he said. “This Mobile Migrant Resource Centre will play a key role in raising awareness and reducing distressed migration.”

The government has also launched a dedicated toll-free helpline (1800-345-7885) for migrants, offering assistance during emergencies and providing crucial information related to migration support services.

Highlighting the broader impact of the initiative, Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee, Principal Secretary, Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment, said the mobile centre is designed to be a scalable and replicable model for the state. “It will help build a structured framework for supporting migrants and crafting sustainable migration solutions,” he noted.

The launch event was attended by several senior officials and development partners, including Labour Commissioner Indramani Tripathi, Protector of Emigrants Sunil Shah from the Ministry of External Affairs, Additional Secretary Subhranshu Mishra, Dr. Sangram Keshari Pattanaik (Joint Director of Agriculture), and Nagendra Mallik (Assistant Director of Agriculture, Climate Resilience Cell).

Representatives from the Department of Labour and ESI, FAO, WASAN, State Migrant Resource Centre (SMRC), and IOM—including Amit Chaudhary, Ankita Surabhi, Nabanita, and Rutumbhara Priyadarshini—also participated in the event.

With migration continuing to be a critical livelihood strategy for many in Odisha, this pioneering mobile unit is expected to bridge information gaps, improve access to support services, and reduce vulnerability among potential and returning migrants.