Kendrapara, April 28: The district administration has decided to carry out a comprehensive door-to-day survey to create a record of migrant workers so that they could be helped in times of emergencies.

Nearly 2,000 plumbers from this coastal district are reported stranded in quake-ravaged Nepal, while the officials put the figure at 335. 

“We have made a list of 335 people from Pattamundai and Aul blocks who are stranded in Nepal. The figure could be much higher as reports from the rest of the seven blocks are yet to be received. The state government has taken up the matter with the Union government so that they could be evacuated,” said district labour officer Satya Narayan Acharya. 

“The block administrations have been directed to conduct a door-to-door survey to prepare a record of both inter-state and overseas migrant labourers. The members of panchayati raj institutions would assist the officials to ascertain the exact number of people who have travelled to various states inside and outside India for jobs,” said Kendrapara collector Debraj Senapati.

“Our objective is to ensure safety of migrant workers. In case of any crisis situation in foreign countries, the administration finds itself in a spot. With no proper list available with the government, we find ourselves in the dark. Recently, a section of plumbers were stranded in Yemen. However, they were safely evacuated after their family members informed the administration about them,” he said.

The state government agencies deal with inter-state migrant workers while the overseas wing of external affairs ministry deal with workers who are based abroad. 

“The crux of the problem is that these workers do not come under Inter-state Migrant Workmen Act, 1979. We have no administrative control over such things. The immigration wing of the ministry deals with this,” he said.

The vulnerability of Kendrapara’s overseas workers was exposed several times in the past. Visa-related technicalities often reduce them to illegal immigrants. Besides, recurring disturbances in the Middle East and Gulf countries compound their woes in strife-torn countries. An official, which would contain among other things the list of overseas migrants, would be helpful in ensuring their safe return,” said the official. 

Plumbing has been a dominant profession for most residents here. Besides, people from Pattamundai, Aul, Rajnagar and Aul region have travelled to various places across the country and abroad. 

An official estimate puts the number of migrant overseas plumbers at 20,000.