Standing Committee on Labour (2020-21) was authorised to take up the issue and Shri Bhartruhari Mahtab – Chairperson presented on their behalf this Sixteenth Report on ‘Social Security and Welfare Measures for Inter-State Migrant Workers’ relating to the Ministry of Labour and Employment” in the Parliament on the 10th of February.
Sorry State of Migrant Workers – Indispensable for the all-round economic growth of the Country!
It is indeed shameful for a nation of over 1.3 Billion Population and over 70 years of sovereignty that the Parliamentary Standing Committee has to begin its report on the above subject with the following two paragraphs:
“1.1 In India migrant labours are predominantly employed in the informal segment and engaged in manual unskilled/semi-skilled jobs, which are typically high-risk and low paying. The perennial problems of the migrant labours entail lack of social security, access to welfare entitlements, proper accommodation, standard of living, identity proof and other documents for availing State given facilities, etc.
1.2 The Covid-19 crisis has exposed, in a tragic and graphic manner, the hard truth that millions of people in India have no recourse to a range of rights and basic amenities. While the pandemic has demonstrated the enormous value of health workers, it has also created and enhanced public awareness of the pivotal role played by the migrant workers in the development of India’s economy. Around 100 million to 125 million such workers leave their villages, families and homes to get work wherever they can find it and toil hard to harvest crops, clean streets, run factories, build roads, construct houses etc. In a stark manner, the pandemic has revealed that millions of migrant workers have been left with little or no food security, livelihood options and a secure home despite they being indispensable for the all-round economic growth of the Country. The need for greater self-reliance for migrant workers and their families has never been more urgent as such workers look for the security of home, food and livelihood.”
How many Migrant workers are there?
The basic task of ensuring a database of workers has not been achieved in the country. The Ministry in its presentation to the committee states that (a) Migrant workers returned home (8,614,785) (b) Migrant workers stayed back (190,054) (c) Total migrant workers in various States (8,804,839) during the pandemic. At the same time, the Ministry also submitted that there were 25.8 million workers were registered as Building & Other Construction Workers with various State Governments and majority of them were migrant workers thus reflecting that it is not aware of the total number of migrant workers.
“2.10. As regards measures taken for identification of Migrant labours especially in the face of reports of many States failing to provide relief to stranded Migrant labourers despite their best efforts, due to shortcomings in the identification process; the Ministry responded as under:- “Several letters/advisory have been sent to the States/UTs to identify the Migrant Labourers and maintain their complete details like bank account details, Mobile Number, Aadhaar Number etc. to provide them immediate financial relief as well as food packages. Chief Labour Commissioner and Welfare Commissioners have also been actively involved in this work.”
2.11. In response to a specific query as to whether local Governments or other Stakeholders have been involved in the efforts of identification of stranded Migrant Labourers; the Ministry replied in the affirmative and stated as under:-
“Yes. States/UTs have been requested to maintain the database with all the details of the migrant workers.”
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