Migration, Remittances, and Changing Patterns of Livelihood Evidence from Western Odisha Villages

There is a tendency of labour shifting to better jobs after migration, though it is not a widely prevalent phenomenon. The most interesting point lies in the fact that population mobility has been accompanied by upward income mobility. Households engaged in relatively lowproductivity activities are seen to be sending out migrants. However, there is also evidence that the probability to migrate out increases for household members engaged in better-paying activities. Remittances contribute significantly to the consumption requirements of those left behind. A large majority of the households which receive remittances are endowed with less land holding, and this pattern is evident for both seasons. This paper makes an attempts to identify the possible factors which cause migration and, secondly, to assess whether if migration leads to a sizeable amount of remittances, causing and to improvement in the levels of living of the households at the place of origin. Employment and income support measures can enable households to utilise remittances productively instead of spending on mere consumption for survival. Joint investment programmes—which involve mobilisation of household surplus resources and state reciprocity in terms of credit support—can be an effective way of creating income-augmenting activities in backward areas.