Paradip: Absence of work opportunities has led to an exodus of people, mostly daily wagers, from the port town of Paradip, a report said.
The migration is stated to have started from March 2020 and continuing till now. The matter came to the fore after several people stopped taking their monthly quota of rice and wheat through ration cards under National Food Security Act. The number of ration card beneficiaries has started declining after the start of Covid pandemic.
Both the Centre and state government have announced Paradip as the economic gateway of the state time and again. Both have been drawing rosy pictures of employment and infrastructure development for people in the port town. However, the reality has been laid bare with the migration of people to other parts of the country from here.
Around 116 families have left Paradip within a year. Their names have been struck off from the ration card list after they stopped lifting their quota of rice and wheat.
Recently, the supplies department has started verifying the list of around 300 families that have stopped receiving rice and wheat through their ration cards. The name of these beneficiaries will be permanently struck off from the ration card list if they or their family members do not lift rations within a month.
The majority of the beneficiaries whose names have been struck off from the ration card list are outsiders and non-Odias. Lack of work opportunities for the daily wagers is stated to be the reason behind the migration of people from the port town.
Moreover, the Paradip fishing harbor, which is a major fish landing and business centre, is passing through a very bad phase. As a result, many fishermen are shifting their base to Andhra Pradesh due to lack of work.
According to reports available from the Paradip Municipality and Civil Supplies department, the population of Paradip has declined during last three decades.
According to 1991 census, the population of port town was 49,255 which later increased 73,625 in 2001.
However, according to 2011 census the population of the port town again got reduced to 68,310 in 2011 census. Meanwhile no census work has taken place in 2021 due to Covid pandemic. It is apprehended that there will be sharp drop in population figure if the census work takes place in the port town.
According to sources, there were 4,500 employees working earlier in Paradip Port. However, the number has reduced and is now limited to only 600 employees.
Similarly, the number of ration holders in the town was 8,452 by March, 2021. Recently, the list is left with only 540 beneficiaries under Antyodaya Anna Yojana who are drawing their food stocks under Centre and state food security schemes.
As many as 25 dealers have been appointed to supply food stocks to the beneficiaries. According to rules of food supply department, if any beneficiary fails to take his/her food stocks for a consecutive period of three months then their names will be automatically struck off from the list.
When contacted, Bibek Mohanty, district civil supplies officer said if a beneficiary does not take his food stock then it can be known online.
According to information available from the dealers, many beneficiaries have sold off their houses and shifted elsewhere due to lack of work opportunities while many have been transferred.