Changing Occupational Structure of Workers in KBK Districts of Odisha

Abstract : This paper examines the changing structure of occupation in the KBK districts of Odisha based on secondary sources data. The three districts under study of KBK region was selected on the basis of the nature of traditional backward, seasonal migratory and tribal dominated district of Odiaha. The persistence of crop failure, low net irrigated area, lack of access to the basic utilities service and entitlements, starvation, malnutrition and migration usually a leading issues in these districts under study of backward KBK region of Odisha. Despite the fact that there is a remarkable change in the KBK region and state of Odisha that there is significant shift of workers from agriculture to non-agricultural sector from census 2001 to census 2011 in general, but particularly from agricultural workers, only the cultivators declined but agricultural labour increased in the KBK districts of Odisha over time. This increase in the agricultural labour has been adverse affect on livelihood pattern of the people in the KBK districts of Odisha, because this region usually found dry, drought and non-irrigated area. Most of the people in this region are very poor and they unable to sustain their livelihood because there is no employment opportunity of agricultural labour in the farm sector as well as non-farm sector. Some workers are migrating to other places like Andhra Pradesh, Channai, Gujarat etc during lean season in order to get employment opportunities and earn mere income to sustain their livelihood. Beside, the migrant’s labour of this KBK region are also exploited and torture in the work place. Now, face the problems of reverse migration during the period of COVID-19. Hence, the greater public spending in MGNREGA and other rural livelihood programme could be important and suitable measures for absorption of surplus agricultural workers in the rural area, which would lead to increase earning and sustain their livelihood by the labour supplying households.