Inter-state migration in India has doubled between 2001 and 2011 compared to the previous decade, growing at 4.5% annually. On an average about five to six million people migrate every year of which 15% are between the 6-14 age group, according to World Economic Forum. Waking up to the urgency to ensure basic facilities like health, education and child care and protection for migrant children, nine states, including five source states and four destination states, on Monday came together to formulate a policy framework. The representatives from state commissions for protection of child rights (SCPCRs), state governments and civil society groups discussed formation of a road map to provide a safe and secure childhood to the children on the move. The two-day inter-state dialogue being organised by the Odisha State Commission for Protection of Child Rights started here on Monday. "This is a wake-up call for all of us to start taking proactive steps for ensuring rights of migrant children. Among the migrants, the most vulnerable are women and children and there is no database to confirm their numbers," said women and child development minister Prafulla Samal. He also called for convergence of all line departments, including school and mass education, health, women and child development and labour welfare, to deal with the issues of migrant children. The five major source states of migrant children are Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh while the main destination sources are Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Kerala. Odisha government is working on a state action plan for inter-state migrants. The plan aims at reducing distress migration, creating employment and registering migrant labourers, an official source said. "All SCPCRs should look into the implementation of national plan of action for children-2016, which mandates special training centres, bridge courses and counselling facilities for children rescued from child labour, trafficking and their subsequent enrolment in age appropriate classes. It has provision to set up seasonal hostels for children of migrant labourers and children of nomadic and semi-nomadic tribes," said chairperson of OSCPCR Kasturi Mahapatra. "Creating a database is the most important work as due to lack of registration, these children get unnoticed and alienated from accessing basic services. Besides, proper implementation of existing laws and policies are equally important," said Umi Daniel, regional head, migration and education of Aide De Action, a civil society organisation working on migration.