Chhattisgarh provided rice under PDS to 97.80% migrant workers who returned to state after COVID-19 lockdown, says survey

Chhattisgarh has stood first in terms of providing free or priced rice under PDS to migrant workers who returned to their states after the lockdown was imposed to contain the spread of COVID-19, says a survey done in 34 districts of six major states.

The `Survey on Migrant Workers' by Indian Society for the Study of Reproduction and Fertility's (ISSRF) also said that the state has the highest female leadership among migrant families.

The survey aimed at studying the impact of reverse migration amid lockdown on the livelihoods of migrant workers.

According to a Chhattisgarh government release, the study covered six migrant-dominated states of Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.

"Chhattisgarh played a proactive role and was quick to make decisions with the return of 31.40 per cent migrants within two weeks and another 9.20 per cent within three weeks of the first lockdown. Chhattisgarh leads in terms of highest free LPG connections distributed. The state has topped the charts in terms of providing free or priced rice under PDS to 97.80 per cent migrants," the release said.

It said that the survey was based on a sample of 2,917 migrants after their reverse migration to native places since the lockdown was announced. Five districts from Chhattisgarh were selected from the state for the survey - Bilaspur, Dantewada, Jashpur, Mahasamund and Rajnandgaon.

"Chhattisgarh tops the chart with the highest female leadership with 8.80 per cent of migrant families. Additionally, Chhattisgarh is the only state where female heads of migrant families are younger, rather youngest with an average of just 25.84 years," the release said.

The survey also enquired regarding the institutional quarantine of migrants at the native place after their return in their respective states.

"Chhattisgarh, West Bengal and Odisha ensured 100 per cent complete quarantine for migrants," it said.

( With inputs from ANI )