Page 91 - IJPS-10-3

International Journal of
Population Studies Pandemic spurs interstate outmigration in India

ensuring adequate access to healthcare and education Table 4. Policy response of the central government
for migrant children; increased opportunities for skill
development; ending the requirement for state domicile Policy Date Announcement
response
to acquire government jobs; and implementing policies
aimed at integrating migrants into the formal financial Directive March 27, 2020 The central government ordered the
states to provide food and shelter
policies
system) and the proposals from the National Commission to the migrants using the National
for Enterprises in the Unorganized Sector, 2006, advocating Disaster Response Fund (NDRF)
for a unified social protection component have been March 29, 2020 The government requested state
implemented partially (Srivastava, 2020a). governments to set up immediate
relief camps for the migrant workers
Considering social protection schemes, the central returning to their home states
government has a minimal exclusive domain (Srivastava, May 16, 2020 To streamline the movement of
2020a). Our institutional structure allows states, migrant workers, the government
either individually or in collaboration with the center, created a database named the National
to undertake various programs to protect migrants Migrant Information System (NMIS)
from social, political, and economic vulnerabilities. July 14, 2020 The government requested the state
Consequently, the central government can only bear a government to create a database for
larger share of the schemes coming under the concurrent migrated children in rural areas
subject of the Indian constitution. Over recent decades, Relief March 26, 2020 The government announced 1.7
the central government has increased its funding share for measures trillion relief packages, which include
cash transfers and steps to ensure
social protection programs such as elementary education, food security
primary health, and public employment. May 13, 2020 The government announced 20
trillion (10% of GDP) COVID-19
3.4.2. The policy response of central and state relief packages, which ₹11,092 crores
governments for migrants during COVID-19 released to states and union territories
The sudden imposition of lockdown exposed migrants to (UTs) under the NDRF, to fund food
and shelter arrangements for migrants,
economic, social, psychological, and emotional issues, as ₹35 billion released to provide free
discussed earlier. Following these deplorable conditions food grain to migrant workers. Grib
for migrants, the government implemented a series of Kalyan Yojana initiated with an initial
measures to help severely affected migrant workers. The funding of 50,000 crore to tackle the
central government’s policy response is presented in impact of COVID-19 on migrants
Table 4 across various categories. May 14, 2020 An additional 10 billion was allocated
from the PM CARES Fund was allocated
However, the effectiveness of the policy measures for the support of migrant workers
has been criticized by many. Rajan & Mishra (2020) Transport May 1, 2020 The central government launched
pointed out the ambiguity surrounding the distribution arrangement the “Shramik Special” train for the
of additional relief funds for migrant welfare among the migrants and others stranded
states as per government guidelines. The finance minister Sources: Information taken from various newspapers, websites, and
announced the distribution of an additional 10 billion research articles.
rupees for migrant welfare, with each state receiving a
minimum of 10% or 1 billion (US$ 13.4 million), with government provided limited amounts to the states under
additional grants allocated based on the state’s population the Special Disaster Relief Fund) to address the migrant
(50% weight) and the number of positive coronavirus problem (Srivastava, 2020b). In this regard, the states of
cases (40% weight). Similarly, Sengupta & Vardhan Kerala and Odisha emerged as outliers by taking significant
(2020) stated that the package will fall short and require steps to save the lives and livelihoods of migrant workers
enhancement. Moreover, a significant component of the (Das, 2020; Rajan & Bhagat, 2022; Srivastava, 2020b).
package constitutes monetary actions that are unlikely to Both the state government’s experiences and investments
be effective. in handling past natural disasters (Kerala: floods in 2018
The institutional and federal structure of our country and Nipah virus outbreak in 2019; Odisha: Phailin in
allows states to intervene or take policy measures concerning 2013, Fani in 2019, and Amphan in 2020, etc.) helped
migrants and workers. Hence, various state governments them to understand the seriousness of the problem and
(both migrant-receiving and sending states) followed to take necessary steps in general and for migrant workers
various strategies on their own (however, the central in particular (Das, 2020; World Health Organization,

Volume 10 Issue 3 (2024) 85 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.0916