Bhubaneswar: Social activists have called for a policy of "portability" to ensure that the seasonal migrant labourers can get subsidised ration under the National Food Security Act at their place of work.

With this policy, the rice quota allotted to them at their respective villages can be delivered at their workplaces with co-ordination of the food and civil supplies department personnel.

In view of mobility of the people of rural Odisha, the portability policy of the State Food Security Scheme is the need of the hour.

The migrant labourers are leaving their home and hearth, seeking employment outside their place of habitations. In the process, they stay months together away from their home. The public distribution system eludes them because of their outstation engagement.

The state is launching its own food security scheme to ensure food and nutrition to an additional 34.44 lakh people left out from the national act.

"Under the circumstances, the migrant labourers have the right to entitlement of subsidised ration. With the advent of technology in managing the public distribution system, providing them the ration at their workplaces is a feasible option," Umi Daniel, director of migration unit of Aide et Action, an international voluntary organisation.

The state scheme's portability policy for its internal migrant workers can be a game-changer in providing foolproof food security to all the eligible households at all times and at all locations, he said.

According to the 2001 census, as many as 7,892,815 persons in the state are intra-district migrant labourers.

They mostly move alone or with their families to the intra-state and inter-state destinations.

It is observed that, a genuine national act beneficiary is forced to relinquish his access to a wide range of government entitlements, including the food security scheme, Danilel stated in a letter addressed to the chief minister's office.

The state has completed the exercise of digitalisation of the public distribution system cards. So, providing ration through the portability scheme is not going be a difficult task, he said.

The portability of comprehensive food security scheme can directly benefit the people and provide a cushion against hunger and food insecurity. It will also help the child and mother to access uninterrupted access to nutritional security, he said.