Migration and consumption behaviour of mining labour: Evidence from Kalahandi and Koraput regions

Migration has resulted in an improved standard of living for the people and poverty reduction, reflected in economic development. Urbanization is the result of migration, and economic development is inextricably linked. Around 65 percent of India’s GDP is estimated to come from the urban areas, which account for one-third of India's total population. The mining industry is one of the important development projects; it helps to reduce unemployment, increase the income of the people, and have positive impacts on education. The research examines migration and economic development by analysing the consumer behaviours of households in the mining workforce located in Kalahandi and Koraput, Odisha. This study aims to understand household consumption expenditures and their relationship to the development of human capital. The study has gathered a primary survey of 400 samples through purposive sampling from mining labourers in both areas. The monthly consumption expenditure includes non-durable products, durable goods, and expenditures on health and education by households. This research employed a log-linear regression model. The dependent variable is monthly consumption expenditure (MEC), while the independent variables include economic factors, household status, social factors, credit availability, poverty status, and social categorization, all of which influence consumption behaviour. The conclusion is that mining labour is in a precarious position, characterized by significant structural inequities, with mineral-resource-rich districts of Odisha being profoundly economically underdeveloped. This study re-emphasizes the economic precariousness of mining workers' households in resource-abundant mineral regions.