Effects of Remittances of Internal Migrants on their Households: A Case Study of Puri District in Orissa, India

The study attempts to analyses the factors that influence gender-wise amounts remitted by internal migrants to their families in their native village, its utilization pattern and impact on household living standards. It also examines the reasons for migration, its benefits and problems experienced by the migrants. The study is based on primary data collected from a random sample of 120 respondents, comprising 60 males and females each of selected four villages of Puri district in Orissa state, India. The objectives of the study are examined using simple averages, ratios, percentages, Garret ranking technique and OLS multiple regressions. Regardless of gender, the findings show that migration has improved the migrants’ income and employment status. It has also improved the standard of living of their households in the native villages, consumption expenditure and savings, besides helping to repay debts. The remittance function reveals rise in income, age labour supply and being a male to be significantly increasing it, and marital status and better standard of living to be significantly decreasing it. The study recommends implementation of employment and micro-credit schemes in the study area to contribute to employment generation within the home villages, besides provisions of social security schemes for the workers.