Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday announced a special package to help migrant workers earn a better livelihood in four migration-prone districts.

The Chief Minister announced a special package for 20 vulnerable blocks in four districts - Bargarh, Balangir, Nuapada, and Kalahandi.

The workers will be provided employment for 200 days in a year under the MGNREGA scheme. Workers will get Rs 286.30 as daily wage instead of Rs 188 per day earlier, a statement said.

A state-level corpus fund of Rs 500 crore has been constituted to ensure timely payment of wages to the labourers within the stipulated time.

All gram panchayats (GPs) under these 20 blocks of the four districts will be covered as intensive GPs under the Odisha Livelihoods Mission, the statement said.

Besides, all families of the four districts will be brought under Self Help Groups (SHGs), while the government has also decided to provide pucca houses to eligible families in the four districts.

A drive will be undertaken for all eligible construction workers for their registration with the Odisha Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board and will be given marriage assistance, pension, education assistance and pucca houses along with other admissible benefits.

With the project, the government aims to ensure livelihood, employment linked skill development and asset creation to help migrant workers and mitigate distress migration, the statement added.